melee

Pluralmelees

Formsmelees, meleeing, meleed

1. 1
   noisy fightnouncountable

   A noisy, messy fight or argument that gets out of control.

   A melee broke out in the stands after the referee's call.

   Two shoppers started yelling, and soon the whole line was in a melee.

   Similarbrawl, scuffle, fracas, free-for-all, fight

   Note
2. 2
   close combatnouncountable or uncountable

   A fight up close, usually without weapons that shoot from far away.

   The two armies met in a bloody melee on the bridge.

   In the game, my knight is strong in melee but slow to move.

   Similarfray

   Note
3. 3
   chaosnouncountable or uncountable

   Any situation that is messy and confused.

   After the storm, the kitchen was a melee of wet towels and buckets.

   The airport became a melee when every flight was canceled.

   Similarjumble, tumult, muddle

   Note
4. 4
   close-range weaponadjective

   Used for fighting up close, like a sword.

   My favorite melee weapon in the game is a giant hammer.

   She grabbed a melee weapon when her arrows ran out.

   Oppositeranged

   Note
5. 5
   heated debatenouncountable or uncountable

   A lively argument or debate between people or groups.

   Many scientists joined the melee over the new theory.

   The online melee over the movie's ending went on for weeks.

   Similarfray, debate, controversy, skirmish

6. 6
   verbslangtransitive or intransitive

   In video games, to hit someone up close instead of shooting them.

   I ran out of bullets, so I had to melee the last zombie.

   He meleed me from behind with a knife.

   Note
7. 7
   close fighteradjective

   Fighting up close with swords or similar weapons, said of a game character.

   I always pick a melee character so I can get close to the enemy.

   Our team had two melee fighters and no healer.

   Oppositeranged

   Note
8. 8
   small gemsnoununcountable

   Small cut and polished jewels that are sold in groups.

   The ring has one big diamond with small melee all around it.

   The jeweler weighed the melee before setting it in the bracelet.

9. 9
   video gamenoununcountable

   A short name for the video game Super Smash Bros. Melee.

   We stayed up all night playing Melee.

   My brother is really good at Melee.

   Note
10. 10
    nounhistoricalcountable

    A training game in which two teams of riders try to cut the paper plumes off each other's helmets.

    The soldiers practiced their riding with a melee every Friday.

    Only three riders still had their plumes at the end of the melee.

    Note

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