To fight slightly or in small parties; to engage in a skirmish or skirmishes; to act as skirmishers.

A slight fight in war; a light or desultory combat between detachments from armies, or between detached and small bodies of troops.

A slight contest.

An engagement between small parties. A skirmish-level scenario or set of rules is one designed for small-scale battles, with each figure representing individual combatants or very small groups. The opposite of skirmish-level is epic-level.

Brief confrontation between opposing military forces, often preceding a major battle.

a violent but brief battle, or gun fight

1. A fight between small bodies of troops. 2. Any brisk conflict or encounter.

A minor fight.

Unplanned fight between two small groups of people

Of the various terms applied to Civil War military actions, "skirmish" denoted a clash of the smallest scope. In general, a skirmish was a limited combat, involving troops other than those of the main body; when the latter participated, the fight was known as an engagement, affair, or battle, depending on its scale. More specifically, a skirmish denoted an encounter between opposing skirmish lines, composed of troops assigned to protect the head and/or flanks of an army in motion.