melee

views updated May 21 2018

me·lee / ˈmāˌlā; māˈlā/ (also mê·lée) • n. a confused fight, skirmish, or scuffle: several people were hurt in the melee. ∎  a confused mass of people: the melee of people that was always thronging the streets.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

Mêlée

views updated May 23 2018

Mêlée

a lively contention or debate; a mixed fight between two parties; a skirmish.

Examples: mêlée of battle, 1871.

Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms

mêlée

views updated May 29 2018

mêlée irregular or confused fighting. XVII. — F. mêlée, earlier mellée MEDLEY.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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