field of battle
- noun
- /fiːld əv ˈbætəl/
- The two armies clashed fiercely on the field of battle as the sun set behind them.
Examples
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Shall we join now on the field of battle?
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We have been summoned into the field of battle.
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So we make our stand here on the field of battle.
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Behind the field of battle, someone has developed a strategy.
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God, protect our men on the field of battle, that they may return home to their dear ones.
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Everyone carried something from the field of battle.
Fiction book (2001) -
I shall defeat them on the field of battle!
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Protecting our soldiers in the field of battle is at the core of my government's commitment to our armed forces.
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His courage on the field of battle made us all proud to be Polks.
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Combat-experienced soldiers know what waits for them on the field of battle, and discretion often takes precedence over valor.
Academic text (2002)
Synonyms
An area where soldiers fight during a war
An area where soldiers fight during a war
The line or area where opposing armies fight during a war
The area where enemy armies meet and fight
A place where people fight physically or argue strongly
An area where soldiers are actively fighting during a war
The place where two armies face each other and fight
An area where soldiers fight the enemy
A place where soldiers fought that people remember with respect
An area where soldiers fight and do military work during a war
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an area where a battle is fought' is transparently built from 'field' (ground or open area) combined with 'battle' (a fight), with 'of' serving as a simple linking preposition. This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase common across languages and standard English, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase field of battle comes from the simple image of an open field where two armies met to battle, with soldiers and weapons spread across the ground. So, it now means 'where a battle is fought' or 'battlefield'.