Warcry

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A loud vocal call made by soldiers to signal the start of an attack or to boost morale before battle
2. A sharp, shouted phrase used by combatants to coordinate an assault or inspire courage during fighting
3. An energetic cry uttered by warriors to motivate themselves and intimidate the enemy in combat

Etymology: "Warcry" is simply a closed-up spelling of "war cry", so its history is that of the two words combined. "War" comes from Old English "wyrre" and "werre", and "cry" comes from Old French "crier", which in turn comes from Latin "quiritare", meaning to wail or shriek. Together they name the loud shout a combatant gives to rally his own side or to unnerve the enemy. The spelling without a space is the more compact form, and it is the one a dictionary lists as an alternative to the two-word version. Either spelling describes the same thing: a battle shout, a sound meant to be heard above the clash of weapons.

Synonyms: battle cry, battle shout, war shout, war yell, battle yell