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warfare
warfare violent conflict between armed enemies. In modern times warfare has usually been conducted by the armed forces (e.g., army, navy, and air force) of a nation or other politically organized group. The way in which war is carried out is governed by the principles of strategy and tactics , b...
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trireme
trireme, a Mediterranean war galley propelled by three banks of oars. See also warfare at sea....
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camouflage
camouflage , in warfare, the disguising of objects with artificial aids, especially for the purpose of making them blend into their surroundings or of deceiving the observer as to the location of strategic points. The principle, of course, is observed in the world of nature (see protective colorati...
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Amalekites
Amalekites , in the Bible, aboriginal people of Canaan and the Sinai peninsula. They waged constant warfare against the Hebrews until dispersed by Saul. Their ancestor, Amalek, for whom they were named, was a duke of Edom and Esau's descendant.
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mechanized warfare
mechanized warfare employment of modern mobile attack and defense tactics that depend upon machines, more particularly upon vehicles powered by gasoline and diesel engines. Central to the waging of mechanized warfare are the tank and armored vehicle, with support and supply from motorized columns a...
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tear gas
tear gas gas that causes temporary blindness through the excessive flow of tears resulting from irritation of the eyes. The gas is used in chemical warfare and as a means for dispersing mobs. Compounds that cause lacrimation (watering of the eyes) include bromoacetone, benzyl bromide, chloroaceto...
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trench warfare
trench warfare Although trenches were used in ancient and medieval warfare, in the American Civil War, and in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5), they did not become important until World War I. The introduction of rapid-firing small arms and artillery made the infantry charges of earlier wars virtu...
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mortar
mortar in warfare, term originally applied to certain types of artillery with high trajectories, but later applied to an infantry weapon that consists of a tube supported by a bipod that fires a projectile at a very high trajectory. The mortar is not usually classified as artillery. Unlike standa...
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laws of war
laws of war in international law , rules and principles regulating an armed conflict between nations. These laws are designed to minimize the destruction of life and property, to proscribe cruel treatment of noncombatants and prisoners of war , and to establish conditions under which the belliger...
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battleship
battleship large, armored warship equipped with the heaviest naval guns. The evolution of the battleship, from the ironclad warship of the mid-19th cent., received great impetus from the Civil War. By 1872 the French were building iron and steel warships, and in 1876 the British started constructio...
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