noun
- fighting at close range.
- fighting between rivals, people closely associated, members of a group, etc.; internecine contention.
- free-for-all fighting.
noun
- boxing combat at close quarters in which proper blows are inhibited and the fighters try to wear down each other’s strength
- intense competition, as between members of the same organization, esp when kept secret from outsiders
1812, from pugilism, the practice of getting at close quarters with an opponent; see in + fighting. Old English infiht (n.) meant “brawl within a house or between members of a household.”