escarmouche

skirmish; dispute; skirmish (small combat)

Inherited from Middle French escarmuche, from Old French escharmuche (“skirmish”), from Old Italian scaramuccia (“skirmish”), from Lombardic skirmen or Frankish *skirmijan (“to shelter”). Cognate with Old High German skirmen, scirmen (“to shield, defend, protect”), skirm (“shade, protection”). More at skirmish, screen.