Also 6 combatt, 6–8 -bate. [ad. F. combatt-re. in OF. cumbat-re (3rd sing. cumbat, combat), a Com. Romanic vb., in Pr. combattre, Sp. combatir, It. combattere:—late L. *combattĕre = *combatuĕre f. com- together, with + battĕre, batuĕre to fight. Cf. ABATE, DEBATE; the different accentuation of combat is perh. due to association with the sb.]
1. intr. To fight or do battle (orig. esp. in single combat). Const. with, against.
[1543. Grafton, Harding’s Chron., Ded. xv. That I, a poore earle … Maye combattre with hym, beyng a kyng.]
1564. A. Jenkinson, in Hakluyt, Voy. (1599), I. 347. Haucoir-Hamshe combating with the sayd giant, did binde … him in chaines.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 711. I will not combat in my shirt.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. v. 2. With that Pagan proud he combatt will that day.
1652. Cotterell, trans. Calprenede’s Cassandra, III. 185. Your men combated … against the first of ours.
1836. Hor. Smith, Tin Trump. (1876), 113. So habituated to fighting, that he went on combatting after he was dead.
1867. Conington, Æneid, XI. 837. Or would men combat hand to hand.
b. fig.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., V. ii. 32. His face still combating with teares and smiles.
1651. Hobbes, Govt. & Soc., 190. When equal Oratours do combat with contrary opinions.
1736. Butler, Anal., I. iii. Wks. 1874, I. 66. [Virtue] may combat with greater advantage hereafter.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., II. xxxii. Death seemed combating with life.
2. trans. To fight with, engage, oppose in battle.
1590. Greene, Orl. Fur. (1599), 8. He shall e’re night be met and combated.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., IV. x. 47. That Alexander Iden … Tooke oddes to combate a poore famisht man.
1652. Cotterell, trans. Calprenede’s Cassandra, I. 44. He hath no more Antagonists to combate.
1806. Forsyth, Beauties Scotl., III. 119. Under the necessity of turning out to combat their spoilers.
b. fig. (Now the most frequent use.)
1627. Lisander & Cal., II. 28. Calista … being no lesse combated with the obligation which shee had unto Lisanders love.
1671. Milton, Samson, 864. Only my love of thee held long debate, And combated in silence all these reasons With hard contest.
1722. Wollaston, Relig. Nat., i. 13. To follow nature cannot be to combat truth.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 73. You think you are combating prejudice, but you are at war with nature.
1876. M. Davies, Unorth. Lond., 107. He combated the idea.
Hence Combated ppl. a.; Combating vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1594. 1st Pt. Contention, vii. 26. The combating Betweene the Armourer and his man.
1685. H. More, Illustr., 280. With whom Christ had no small combating long before.
1869. M. Arnold, Poems, II. 193. Not human combatings with death.
1870. Rolleston, Anim. Life, Introd. 18. Methods for the combating of disease.
