War dance

War dance
War War, n. [OE. & AS. werre; akin to OHG. werra scandal, quarrel, sedition, werran to confound, mix, D. warren, G. wirren, verwirren, to embroil, confound, disturb, and perhaps to E. worse; cf. OF. werre war, F. querre, of Teutonic origin. Cf. {Guerrilla}, {Warrior}.] [1913 Webster] 1. A contest between nations or states, carried on by force, whether for defence, for revenging insults and redressing wrongs, for the extension of commerce, for the acquisition of territory, for obtaining and establishing the superiority and dominion of one over the other, or for any other purpose; armed conflict of sovereign powers; declared and open hostilities. [1913 Webster]

Men will ever distinguish war from mere bloodshed. --F. W. Robertson. [1913 Webster]

Note: As war is the contest of nations or states, it always implies that such contest is authorized by the monarch or the sovereign power of the nation. A war begun by attacking another nation, is called an offensive war, and such attack is aggressive. War undertaken to repel invasion, or the attacks of an enemy, is called defensive. [1913 Webster]

2. (Law) A condition of belligerency to be maintained by physical force. In this sense, levying war against the sovereign authority is treason. [1913 Webster]

3. Instruments of war. [Poetic] [1913 Webster]

His complement of stores, and total war. --Prior. [1913 Webster]

4. Forces; army. [Poetic] [1913 Webster]

On their embattled ranks the waves return, And overwhelm their war. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

5. The profession of arms; the art of war. [1913 Webster]

Thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth. --1 Sam. xvii. 33. [1913 Webster]

6. a state of opposition or contest; an act of opposition; an inimical contest, act, or action; enmity; hostility. ``Raised impious war in heaven.'' --Milton. [1913 Webster]

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart. --Ps. lv. 21. [1913 Webster]

{Civil war}, a war between different sections or parties of the same country or nation.

{Holy war}. See under {Holy}.

{Man of war}. (Naut.) See in the Vocabulary.

{Public war}, a war between independent sovereign states.

{War cry}, a cry or signal used in war; as, the Indian war cry.

{War dance}, a dance among savages preliminary to going to war. Among the North American Indians, it is begun by some distinguished chief, and whoever joins in it thereby enlists as one of the party engaged in a warlike excursion. --Schoolcraft.

{War field}, a field of war or battle.

{War horse}, a horse used in war; the horse of a cavalry soldier; especially, a strong, powerful, spirited horse for military service; a charger.

{War paint}, paint put on the face and other parts of the body by savages, as a token of going to war. ``Wash the war paint from your faces.'' --Longfellow.

{War song}, a song of or pertaining to war; especially, among the American Indians, a song at the war dance, full of incitements to military ardor.

{War whoop}, a war cry, especially that uttered by the American Indians. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • war dance — n a dance performed by tribes in preparation for battle or to celebrate a victory …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • war dance — war ,dance noun count a dance that members of some TRIBES traditionally performed before or after a battle …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • war dance — war′ dance n. ant (formerly among American Indians) a dance prior to going into battle or in celebration of a victory • Etymology: 1705–15, amer …   From formal English to slang

  • war dance — ► NOUN ▪ a ceremonial dance performed before a battle or to celebrate victory …   English terms dictionary

  • war dance — ☆ war dance n. a ceremonial dance performed as by some American Indian peoples before battle or after victory …   English World dictionary

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  • war dance — noun a ceremonial dance performed before a battle or after a victory • Hypernyms: ↑ritual dancing, ↑ritual dance, ↑ceremonial dance * * * noun 1. : a dance usually representing war in pantomime that is performed by primitive peoples as… …   Useful english dictionary

  • War Dance — Infobox Album | Name = War Dance Type = Album Artist = Colosseum II Released = 1977 Recorded = Genre = Jazz fusion Length = 42:13 Label = One Way Producer = Monty Babson, Jon Hiseman and Martin Levan Reviews = Last album = Electric Savage (1977)… …   Wikipedia

  • war dance — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms war dance : singular war dance plural war dances a dance that members of some tribes traditionally performed before or after a battle …   English dictionary

  • War dance — A war dance is a dance involving mock combat, usually in reference to tribal warrior societies where such dances were performed as a ritual connected with endemic warfare. It has also gained recognition in the last twenty years in the metal… …   Wikipedia

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