Skirmish
Skirmish , intransitive verb
[Old English skirmishen, scarmishen, Old French escremir, eskermir, to fence, fight, French escrimer, of German origin; compare Old High German scirmen to protect, defend, German schirmen, Old High German scirm, scerm, protection, shield, German schirm; perhaps akin to Greek {not transcribed} a sunshade. Compare Scaramouch, Scrimmage.]
To fight slightly or in small parties; to engage in a skirmish or skirmishes; to act as skirmishers.
Skirmish , noun
[Old English scarmishe, scrymishe. See Skirmish, v. i.]
1.
A slight fight in war; a light or desultory combat between detachments from armies, or between detached and small bodies of troops.
2.
A slight contest.
They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit.