skirmish

Etymology

From Middle English skirmish (as a verb), from Old French escarmouche (“skirmish”), from Italian scaramuccia, earlier schermugio. Doublet of escarmouche and Scaramouche.

noun

1. (military) A brief battle between small groups, usually part of a longer or larger battle or war.
   On 2 March, Chinese border guards with the help of regular PLA forces skillfully ambushed Strelnikov's unit on the ice near Chen Pao, killing him and 30 Soviets in the subsequent skirmish. 28 April 1970, “Chen Pao Battle and Subsequent Threat Campaign”, in The Evolution of Soviet Policy in the Sino-Soviet Border Dispute, Directorate of Intelligence, published 2007, →OCLC, page 34
2. (figurative, by extension) Any minor dispute.
   Three people were arrested after a skirmish in a bar.
3. A type of outdoor military style game using paintball or similar weapons.

verb

1. To engage in a minor battle or dispute.
   Other historians might also remark that […] they have persisted all this time, constantly wrestling and skirmishing and yet never destroying themselves. 2019, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Children of Ruin, Macmillan, page 376