altercation

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++al·ter·ca·tion /ˌɔːltəˈkeɪʃən $ ˌɒːltər-/ noun [countable]  formalARGUE a short noisy argument 争辩，争吵 They became involved in an altercation. 他们争辩了起来。

Examples from the Corpus

altercation• There was a brief altercation and someone called the police.• He was engaged in some sort of altercation with the driver.• Well, the only altercation I remember having with him was when I was very little, five or six.• She would run and hide as her parents' altercations so often got out of hand with plates crashing and books thrown.• And perhaps most interestingly, can MacLean stay away from the physical altercations that have popped up recently?• The frustration he caused her was the keynote of every one-sided altercation.• The altercation concluded with Bugel tossing Brown from the session.Origin altercation (1300-1400) French Latin altercatio, from altercari “to quarrel”

al·ter·ca·tion nounChineseSyllable  

Corpus noisy argument a short

altercation
al‧ter‧ca‧tion /ˌɔːltəˈkeɪʃən $ ˌɒːltər-/ noun [countable]formal a short noisy argument:
    They became involved in an altercation.
     

THESAURUS

■ when people hit or attack each other
   ▪ fight a situation in which people hit or attack each other because of an argument, or as a sport: He had a fight with an older boy. | the famous fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman
   ▪ battle a fight between opposing armies or groups of people: The English king was killed at the Battle of Hastings. | a battle between two rival gangs
   ▪ scuffle a short fight that is not very violent: There was a short scuffle with the police, but no arrests were made.
   ▪ punch-up British English informal a fight in which people hit each other because of an argument: The game turned into a punch-up.
   ▪ brawl a noisy fight between a group of people: He was hurt in a drunken brawl.
   ▪ altercation formal a short noisy argument or fight, especially one that is not serious: There was a brief altercation and someone called the police.
   ▪ riot a fight involving a large number of people, especially people who are protesting about something: The book provoked riots all over Europe.

al·ter·ca·tionBrE /ˌɔːltəˈkeɪʃn/ 🔊NAmE /ˌɔːltərˈkeɪʃn/ 🔊 noun [countable, uncountable] (formal) a noisy argument or disagreement 争论；争辩；争吵