war

war

W1S3 [wo: US wo:r] n

[Date: 1100-1200; : Old North French; Origin: werre, from Old French guerre]

1.) [U and C]

when there is fighting between two or more countries or between opposing groups within a country, involving large numbers of soldiers and weapons

≠ ↑peace

▪ America's defeat in the Vietnam War

▪ He served as a pilot during the war.

war against/with/between

▪ the war with Spain

▪ They had no chance of winning the war .

▪ Britain fought two wars in Europe in the last century.

▪ My grandfather fought in the Second World War .

▪ In 1920 Poland and Russia were still at war .

▪ Quite a few women went to war , and quite a few were killed in action.

▪ Congress has the power to declare war .

▪ War broke out in September 1939.

▪ His career was interrupted by the outbreak of war .

▪ the American Civil War

▪ He led the nation out of a depression and guided it through a world war .

▪ Both countries wanted to avoid a nuclear war .

▪ He had spent the war years in Moscow.

▪ a wounded war hero

2.) [U and C]

a struggle over a long period of time to control something harmful

war on/against

▪ the State's war on drugs

▪ the war against racism

3.) [U and C]

a situation in which a person or group is fighting for power, influence, or control

▪ No one wants to start a trade war here.

▪ a ratings war between the major TV networks

→↑price war

4.) be in the wars

BrE spoken used, often humorously, to say that someone has lots of injuries or health problems

▪ You've really been in the wars lately, haven't you?

5.) this means war

spoken used humorously to say that you are ready to fight or argue about something

→↑cold war, ↑war of attrition, ↑war of nerves, ↑war of words, ↑warring

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COLLOCATES for sense 1

win/lose a war

fight a war/wage (a) war (=used about countries or groups)

fight in a war (=used about people)

be at war (with somebody)

go to war (with somebody)

declare war (on somebody)

war breaks out also the outbreak of war

civil war (=a war between opposing groups within a country)

world war

nuclear war

the war years

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