scrimmage (SKRIM-ayg) noun

   1. A rough struggle.

   2. A practice game, often between two parts of the same team.

   3. A tussle for the ball in games such as football, rugby, soccer, etc.

verb tr, intr.

   To engage in a scrimmage.

[Middle English metathetic variant of skirmish.]

   "I depict her, ah, how charming!
   I portray myself alarming
   Her by swearing I would `mount the deadly breach,'
   Or engage in any scrimmage
   For a glimpse of her sweet image,
   Or her shadow, or her footprint on the beach."
   Charles Stuart Calverley, On the Beach, Anthology of Light Verse, 1935.

This week's theme: words formed by metathesis or transposing letters.

............................................................................
Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers.
-Mignon McLaughlin, author

Feeling information overload? Sign off a few mailing lists. If you wish
to unsubscribe from AWAD, send a blank message to wsmith@wordsmith.org with
the word unsubscribe in the subject line of your message. Of course, we'd
rather you stay with us. After all, it is only a `word' a day. (-:

Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/scrimmage.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/scrimmage.ram