combat
UK[ˈkɒmbæt]US[ˈkɑːmbæt]
n
fighting, especially during a war
v
to try to stop something bad from happening or a bad situation from becoming worse
Morpheme Breakdown
com
bat
com
together
bat
to beat
Etymology
The word 'combat' entered English in the mid-16th century from the French 'combattre', which itself descended from the Late Latin 'combattere'. This Latin verb was a fusion of the intensive prefix 'com-' (together) and 'battere', a variant of 'battuere' (to beat). The original literal sense was "to beat or strike together," vividly describing the clash of armed conflict. Over time, the meaning broadened from physical fighting to include any vigorous struggle against negative forces, such as disease or injustice, while retaining its core idea of forceful opposition.
Analysis
Structure: com (together) + bat (to beat)
- com: A Latin prefix meaning 'together', 'with', or 'altogether'. It functions as an intensifier in this compound.
- bat: From the Latin verb 'battuere', meaning 'to beat' or 'to strike'. It forms the core semantic root of the word.
Examples
He was awarded a medal for his bravery in combat.
The government is introducing new measures to combat inflation.
The soldiers were trained in both armed and unarmed combat.