Crossword clues for belligerent
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Belligerent \Bel*lig"er*ent\, n. A nation or state recognized as carrying on war; a person engaged in warfare.
Belligerent \Bel*lig"er*ent\, a. [L. bellum war + gerens, -entis, waging, p. pr. of gerere to wage: cf. F. bellig['e]rant. See Bellicose, Jest.]
Waging war; carrying on war. ``Belligerent powers.''
--E. Everett.Pertaining, or tending, to war; of or relating to belligerents; as, a belligerent tone; belligerent rights.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
Wiktionary
a. 1 Engaged in warfare, warring. 2 Eager to go to war, warlike. 3 Of or pertaining to war. 4 (By extension) aggressive hostile, eager to fight. 5 act#Verb violently towards others. n. A state or other armed participant in warfare
WordNet
adj. characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight; "aggressive acts against another country"; "a belligerent tone" [syn: aggressive]
engaged in war; "belligerent (or warring) nations"; "a fighting war" [syn: fighting, militant, war-ridden, warring]
Wikipedia
A belligerent (lat. bellum gerere, "to wage war") is an individual, group, country, or other entity that acts in a hostile manner, such as engaging in combat. Belligerent comes from Latin, literally meaning "one who wages war." Unlike the use of belligerent as an adjective to mean aggressive, its use as a noun does not necessarily imply that a belligerent country is an aggressor.
In times of war, belligerent countries can be contrasted with neutral countries and non-belligerents. However, the application of the laws of war to neutral countries and the responsibilities of belligerents are not affected by any distinction between neutral countries, neutral powers or non-belligerents. A non-belligerent may nevertheless risk being considered a belligerent if it aids or supports a belligerent in a way that is proscribed by neutral countries.
An interesting use of the term arose during the American Civil War, when the Confederate States of America, though not recognized as a sovereign state, was recognized as a belligerent power and so Confederate warships were given the same rights as US warships in foreign ports.
Usage examples of "belligerent".
By the beginning of 1915 they had accumulated a sufficient mass of evidence from the belligerent countries to convince them that great masses of people in these countries were as amazed and as anxious to end the widening bloodshed and brutalization as the neutral onlookers.
One of the rare women who never pout or attitudinize, she could fling her glove gracefully-- one might add, capturingly under every aspect, she was a handsome belligerent.
As this detention was occasioned by an obvious misapprehension of the facts, and as justice requires that we should commit no belligerent act not founded in strict right as sanctioned by public law, I recommend that an appropriation be made to satisfy the reasonable demand of the owners of the vessel for her detention.
My father--our government--were painted as overbearing and belligerent.
It appeared this belligerent duck man, John Scroggins, had sufficient reason to use his ready shotgun upon any trespassers.
Admitting the conduct of the British and French Governments in recognizing the rebels as belligerents to be as unfriendly and as unrequired by the obligations of public law as it is generally held to be among us, that would not make it right or wise for our Government to depart from the tone of moderation.
Big, bullheaded, and ruddy, Abernethy arrived in a belligerent mood, barging ahead of Lorn as Mercurius admitted them and then retired.
The burghers of the Transvaal and of the late Orange Free State were legitimate belligerents, and to be treated as such--a statement which does not, of course, extend to the Afrikander rebels who were their allies.
His jaw was square, his forehead narrow, giving him a belligerent, bulldoggish look.
For the Mormon pioneers the most important features of the topography were the natural barriers that Brigham Young felt would protect their nascent state of Deseret from the influence of belligerent, unholy gentiles.
Lancelot scowled, Amhar and Loholt tried to look belligerent, while Dinas and Lavaine showed nothing but contempt on their hard faces.
Miss Dunstable, as soon as both belligerents had departed from the field of battle.
But before Fyle got halfway round the dusty circle, we saw a handful of belligerent men in Den Thasnet colours accost him.
Chance had done was beginning to wear off, and those onlookers who still remained were starting to chuckle at the situation the onetime belligerent gunslick now found himself in.
Led by a particularly belligerent captain, the Keralan seamen dug out their own weapons and launched a mutiny.