scuffle

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: scuf=fle

CIDE DICTIONARY

scuffle, v. i. [Freq. of scuff, v.i.; cf. Sw. skuffa to push, shove, skuff a push, Dan. skuffe a drawer, a shovel, and E. shuffle, shove. See Shove, and cf. Shuffle.].

•  To strive or struggle with a close grapple; to wrestle in a rough fashion.  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, to strive or contend tumultuously; to struggle confusedly or at haphazard.  [1913 Webster]

  "A gallant man had rather fight to great disadvantage in the field, in an orderly way, than scuffle with an undisciplined rabble."  [1913 Webster]

scuffle, n. 

•  A rough, haphazard struggle, or trial of strength; a disorderly wrestling at close quarters.  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, a confused contest; a tumultuous struggle for superiority; a fight.  [1913 Webster]

  "The dog leaps upon the serpent, and tears it to pieces; but in the scuffle the cradle happened to be overturned."  [1913 Webster]
•  A child's pinafore or bib.  [1913 Webster]
•  A garden hoe.  Halliwell.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

scuffle, n. & v.
--n. a confused struggle or disorderly fight at close quarters.
--v.intr. engage in a scuffle.

Etymology

prob. f. Scand.: cf. Sw. skuffa to push, rel. to SHOVE

THESAURUS

scuffle

action, aerial combat, affray, agonize, amble, armored combat, barge, battle, battle royal, bobbery, bowl along, box, brawl, broil, brush, buffet, bullfight, bundle, clash, clash of arms, close, clump, cockfight, collide, combat, come to blows, conflict, contend, contest, cuff, cut and thrust, dogfight, drag, duel, embroilment, exchange blows, exchange of blows, fence, feud, fight, fight a duel, fire fight, flounce, foot, footslog, fracas, fray, give and take, give satisfaction, grapple, grapple with, ground combat, grunt and sweat, halt, hand-to-hand combat, hand-to-hand fight, hassle, hippety-hop, hitch, hobble, hop, house-to-house combat, huff and puff, jog, jolt, jostle, joust, jump, limp, lumber, lunge, lurch, mince, mix it up, naval combat, pace, paddle, passage of arms, peg, piaffe, piaffer, pitched battle, plod, prance, quarrel, rack, rassle, riot, roll, row, rumble, run a tilt, running fight, sashay, saunter, scramble, scrap, scrimmage, scuff, scuttle, set-to, shamble, shovel, shoving match, shuffle, sidle, single-foot, skip, skirmish, slink, slither, slog, slouch, spar, stagger, stalk, stamp, stand-up fight, stomp, straddle, straggle, street fight, stride, strive, stroll, struggle, strut, stump, swagger, swing, tauromachy, thrust and parry, tilt, tittup, toddle, totter, tourney, traipse, trip, trudge, tug-of-war, tussle, waddle, wage war, wamble, war, wiggle, wobble, wrestle

ROGET THESAURUS

scuffle

Contention

N contention, strife, contest, contestation, struggle, belligerency, opposition, controversy, polemics, debate, war of words, logomachy, litigation, paper war, high words, sparring, competition, rivalry, corrivalry, corrivalship, agonism, concours, match, race, horse racing, heat, steeple chase, handicap, regatta, field day, sham fight, Derby day, turf, sporting, bullfight, tauromachy, gymkhana, boat race, torpids, wrestling, greco-roman wrestling, pugilism, boxing, fisticuffs, the manly art of self-defense, spar, mill, set-to, round, bout, event, prize fighting, quarterstaff, single stick, gladiatorship, gymnastics, jiujitsu, jujutsu, kooshti, sumo, athletics, athletic sports, games of skill, shindy, fracas, clash of arms, tussle, scuffle, broil, fray, affray, affrayment, velitation, colluctation, luctation, brabble, brigue, scramble, melee, scrimmage, stramash, bushfighting, free fight, stand up fight, hand to hand, running fight, conflict, skirmish, rencounter, encounter, rencontre, collision, affair, brush, fight, battle, battle royal, combat, action, engagement, joust, tournament, tilt, tilting, tournay, list, pitched battle, death struggle, struggle for life or death, life or death struggle, Armageddon, hard knocks, sharp contest, tug of war, naval engagement, naumachia, sea fight, duel, duello, single combat, monomachy, satisfaction, passage d'armes, passage of arms, affair of honor, triangular duel, hostile meeting, digladiation, deeds of arms, feats of arms, appeal to arms, pugnacity, combativeness, bone of contention, contending, together by the ears, at loggerheads, at war, at issue, competitive, rival, belligerent, contentious, combative, bellicose, unpeaceful, warlike, quarrelsome, pugnacious, pugilistic, gladiatorial, palestric, palestrical, a verbis ad verbera, a word and a blow, a very pretty quarrel as it stands, commune periculum concordiam parit, lis litem generat.