Military. active, armed fighting with enemy forces.
4.
a fight, struggle, or controversy, as between two persons, teams, or ideas.
Origin: 1535–45; < Middle French combat (noun), combattre (v.) < Late Latin combattere, equivalent to Latin com-com- + Late Latin battere, for Latin battuere to strike, beat
Related forms
com·bat·a·ble, adjective
in·ter·com·bat, noun
pre·com·bat, noun, verb, -bat·ed, -bat·ing or (especially British) -bat·ted, -bat·ting.
1489 (implied in combatant), from M.Fr. combattre, from L.L. combattere, from L. com- "with" (each other) + battuere "to beat, fight" (see batter (v.)). The noun is first recorded 1567.