Fighting and Combat
Have you ever seen one of those old westerns when some grizzled and toothless saloon patron says "them's fighting words"? Well, here they are - all twenty-one of them! These words, all very obscure, refer to fighting, combat or conflict, whether actual or metaphorical, using the suffix "machy" (from the Greek mache, a fight).
Word
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Definition
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alectryomachy
| cock-fighting
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batrachomyomachy
| battle between frogs and mice; a burlesque poem attributed to Homer
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cynartomachy
| bear-baiting using dogs
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duomachy
| duel or fight between two people
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gigantomachy
| war of giants against the gods
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hieromachy
| fight or quarrel between priests
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hoplomachy
| fighting while heavily armoured
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iconomachy
| opposition to the worship of images or icons
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logomachy
| contention about words or in words
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monomachy
| single combat; a duel
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naumachy
| mock sea-battle
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pneumatomachy
| denial of the divinity of the Holy Ghost
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poetomachia
| contest or quarrel among poets
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psychomachy
| conflict between the body and the soul
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pygmachy
| boxing; fighting with clubs
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pyromachy
| use of fire in combat
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skiamachy
| sham fight; shadow boxing
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symmachy
| fighting jointly against a common enemy
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tauromachy
| bullfighting
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theomachy
| war amongst or against the gods
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titanomachy
| war of the Titans against the gods
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I hope you have found this site to be useful. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me. Please note that I am not able to respond to all requests. Please consult a major dictionary before e-mailing your query. All material on this page © 1996-2021 Stephen Chrisomalis. Links to this page may be made without permission.
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