Obs. Forms: 5 escarmissh, 6 escharmouch, -mousch, 9 (Scott) escaramouche. [a. Fr. escarmouche = Pr. escarmussa, Sp. escaramuza, It. scaramuccia; see SKIRMISH.] A skirmish; also fig. a fit of anger.
1475. Bk. Noblesse, 13. After many assautes and grete escarmisshes.
1549. Compl. Scot., ix. (1872), 79. The atheniens and ther allya … assailȝet the persans be escharmouchis and incursions.
1579. Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 843/1. What shall wee say when a man is olde, and shoulde haue passed all those escharmouches.
1820. Scott, Monast., III. 302–3. Such of the men as have escaped this escaramouche.
