▪ I. † eˈscarmouche, n. Obs.
Forms: 5 escarmissh, 6 escharmouch, -mousch, 9 (Scott) escaramouche.
[a. Fr. escarmouche = Pr. escarmussa, Sp. escaramuza, It. scaramuccia; see skirmish.]
A skirmish; also fig. a fit of anger.
| 1475 Bk. Noblesse 13 After many assautes and grete escarmisshes. 1549 Compl. Scot. ix. (1872) 79 The atheniens and ther allya..assailȝet the persans be escharmouchis and incursions. 1579 Tomson Calvin's Serm. Tim. 843/1 What shall wee say when a man is olde, and shoulde haue passed all those escharmouches. 1820 Scott Monast. xxxvii, Such of the men as have escaped this escaramouche. |
▪ II. † eˈscarmouche, v. Obs.
Also 6 escharmousch.
[a. Fr. escarmoucher, f. escarmouche: see prec.]
a. intr. To skirmish. b. trans. To skirmish with; to engage.
| 1549 Compl. Scot. ix. (1872) 78 Leonides..escharmouschit xerxes gryt armye, and sleu tuenty thousand persuns. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 258 He had hearde only of a fewe Spaniardes, that laye therin garrison, and them wold he haue prouoked to escarmouche. |