a dogfight that has gotten really nasty

A dogfight ( q.v.) with multiple fighters on each side.

A large dogfight

A turning fight involving multiple aircraft.(bei uns auch manchmal: "Die Wolke", "Laßt uns VOLTRON bilden") zum Men

This term originated with online flight simulations to describe the large group of low-energy, close-range combatants that normally forms at or near the center of a melee. From a distance it looks like a ball of dots. In MechWarrior the term is used to describe the dense knot of (usually) large Mechs engaged in “Circles of Death”.

n. 1) Any sort of confusion, snarl-up, or traffic jam. 2) An intense, chaotic battle.

Fur swallowed by the cat during self-grooming, which forms into a tightly packed ball in the stomach or the bowels. The ball is eventually eliminated from the cat's body. Also known as "Hairball".