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embattle

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embattle¹

  • /ɛmˈbæ.təl/ US
  • [əmˈbæ.ɾəl] US, regional
  • /ɛmˈbæt.əl/ UK
  • /ɪmˈbæt.əl/ UK

Where it comes from

From Middle English enbatelen, embatailen, from Old French embataillier (“to array for battle”), from em- (Latin in) + bataille (“battle”).

verb embattles · embattling · embattled

  1. transitive To arrange in order of battle; to array for battle.
  2. To prepare or arm for battle; to equip as for battle. In behalf of the dignity of whaling, I would fain advance naught but substantiated facts. But after embattling his facts, an advocate who should wholly suppress a not unreasonable surmise, which might tell eloquently upon his cause — such an advocate, would he not be blameworthy ?

    Similar: fortify

  3. intransitive To be arrayed for battle.

embattle²

  • /ɛmˈbæ.təl/ US
  • [əmˈbæ.ɾəl] US, regional
  • /ɛmˈbæt.əl/ UK
  • /ɪmˈbæt.əl/ UK

Where it comes from

From Middle English enbatelen, enbatailen, from Old French *embastiller ("to fortify"; > Middle Latin imbataliare, imbattajare), from en- + + bastiller (“to build, fortify, embattle”). More at baste.

verb embattles · embattling · embattled

  1. transitive To furnish with battlements; to give the form of battlements to. to embattle a wall

noun embattles

  1. A merlon, or a single one of the series of solid projections of a battlement. Again, it can be drawn with the angle of the limbs being greater or less than a right angle, but they will appear to conflict with the embattles which have to be rectangular. In some ordinaries such as the fess, there must be an odd number of embattles, otherwise it will start high and end low [...]

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MLA

"embattle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/embattle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

embattle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/embattle

Chicago

"embattle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/embattle.

BibTeX
@misc{embattle_2026,
  title = {embattle},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/embattle},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}