DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 Join v. t. [imp. & p. p. Joined p. pr. & vb. n. Joining.]
 1. To bring together, literally or figuratively; to place in contact; to connect; to couple; to unite; to combine; to associate; to add; to append.
    Woe unto them that join house to house.   --Is. v. 8.
 Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn
 Like twenty torches joined.   --Shak.
    Thy tuneful voice with numbers join.   --Dryden.
 2. To associate one's self to; to be or become connected with; to league one's self with; to unite with; as, to join a party; to join the church.
    We jointly now to join no other head.   --Dryden.
 3. To unite in marriage.
    He that joineth his virgin in matrimony.   --Wyclif.
    What, therefore, God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.   --Matt. xix. 6.
 4. To enjoin upon; to command. [Obs. & R.]
    They join them penance, as they call it.   --Tyndale.
 5. To accept, or engage in, as a contest; as, to join encounter, battle, issue.
 To join battle, To join issue. See under Battle, Issue.
 Syn: -- To add; annex; unite; connect; combine; consociate; couple; link; append. See Add.

 Bat·tle, n.
 1. A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement; a combat.
 2. A struggle; a contest; as, the battle of life.
    The whole intellectual battle that had at its center the best poem of the best poet of that day.   --H. Morley.
 3. A division of an army; a battalion. [Obs.]
    The king divided his army into three battles.   --Bacon.
    The cavalry, by way of distinction, was called the battle, and on it alone depended the fate of every action.   --Robertson.
 4. The main body, as distinct from the van and rear; battalia. [Obs.]
 Note: ☞ Battle is used adjectively or as the first part of a self-explaining compound; as, battle brand, a “brand” or sword used in battle; battle cry; battlefield; battle ground; battle array; battle song.
 Battle piece, a painting, or a musical composition, representing a battle.
 Battle royal. (a) A fight between several gamecocks, where the one that stands longest is the victor. --Grose. (b) A contest with fists or cudgels in which more than two are engaged; a mêlée. --Thackeray.
 Drawn battle, one in which neither party gains the victory.
 To give battle, to attack an enemy.
 To join battle, to meet the attack; to engage in battle.
 Pitched battle, one in which the armies are previously drawn up in form, with a regular disposition of the forces.
 Wager of battle. See under Wager, n.
 Syn: -- Conflict; encounter; contest; action.
 Usage: Battle, Combat, Fight, Engagement. These words agree in denoting a close encounter between contending parties. Fight is a word of less dignity than the others. Except in poetry, it is more naturally applied to the encounter of a few individuals, and more commonly an accidental one; as, a street fight. A combat is a close encounter, whether between few or many, and is usually premeditated. A battle is commonly more general and prolonged. An engagement supposes large numbers on each side, engaged or intermingled in the conflict.