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Fighting and Combat

Have you ever seen one of those old westerns when some grizzled and toothless saloon patron says "them's fighting words"? Well, here they are - all twenty-one of them! These words, all very obscure, refer to fighting, combat or conflict, whether actual or metaphorical, using the suffix "machy" (from the Greek mache, a fight).


Word Definition
alectryomachy cock-fighting
batrachomyomachy battle between frogs and mice; a burlesque poem attributed to Homer
cynartomachy bear-baiting using dogs
duomachy duel or fight between two people
gigantomachy war of giants against the gods
hieromachy fight or quarrel between priests
hoplomachy fighting while heavily armoured
iconomachy opposition to the worship of images or icons
logomachy contention about words or in words
monomachy single combat; a duel
naumachy mock sea-battle
pneumatomachy denial of the divinity of the Holy Ghost
poetomachia contest or quarrel among poets
psychomachy conflict between the body and the soul
pygmachy boxing; fighting with clubs
pyromachy use of fire in combat
skiamachy sham fight; shadow boxing
symmachy fighting jointly against a common enemy
tauromachy bullfighting
theomachy war amongst or against the gods
titanomachy war of the Titans against the gods


I hope you have found this site to be useful. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me. Please note that I am not able to respond to all requests. Please consult a major dictionary before e-mailing your query. All material on this page © 1996-2021 Stephen Chrisomalis. Links to this page may be made without permission.

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