To wage battle

Wage Wage, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Waged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Waging}.] [OE. wagen, OF. wagier, gagier, to pledge, promise, F. gager to wager, lay, bet, fr. LL. wadium a pledge; of Teutonic origin; cf. Goth. wadi a pledge, gawadj[=o]n to pledge, akin to E. wed, G. wette a wager. See {Wed}, and cf. {Gage}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To pledge; to hazard on the event of a contest; to stake; to bet, to lay; to wager; as, to wage a dollar. --Hakluyt. [1913 Webster]

My life I never but as a pawn To wage against thy enemies. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. To expose one's self to, as a risk; to incur, as a danger; to venture; to hazard. ``Too weak to wage an instant trial with the king.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

To wake and wage a danger profitless. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. To engage in, as a contest, as if by previous gage or pledge; to carry on, as a war. [1913 Webster]

[He pondered] which of all his sons was fit To reign and wage immortal war with wit. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

The two are waging war, and the one triumphs by the destruction of the other. --I. Taylor. [1913 Webster]

4. To adventure, or lay out, for hire or reward; to hire out. [Obs.] ``Thou . . . must wage thy works for wealth.'' --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

5. To put upon wages; to hire; to employ; to pay wages to. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

Abundance of treasure which he had in store, wherewith he might wage soldiers. --Holinshed. [1913 Webster]

I would have them waged for their labor. --Latimer. [1913 Webster]

6. (O. Eng. Law) To give security for the performance of. --Burrill. [1913 Webster]

{To wage battle} (O. Eng. Law), to give gage, or security, for joining in the duellum, or combat. See {Wager of battel}, under {Wager}, n. --Burrill.

{To wage one's law} (Law), to give security to make one's law. See {Wager of law}, under {Wager}, n. [1913 Webster]