Word of the Day for Friday June 17, 2005 altercation \awl-tuhr-KAY-shuhn\, noun: A heated, noisy, or angry dispute; noisy controversy or argument. Like Epaminondas, he fought continuously with his fellow generals and was nearly court-martialed for his altercations with his superiors -- like Epaminondas he was relieved of command after his greatest victories. --Victor Davis Hanson, [1]The Soul Of Battle He indulged in a heated altercation with his fellow-townsmen over some land which they thought theirs, though it was certainly his. --Carl Van Doren, The American Novel The professor had had a trifling altercation in the morning with that young gentleman, owing to a difference about the introduction of crackers in school-time. --William Makepeace Thackeray, [2]Vanity Fair _________________________________________________________ Altercation comes from Latin altercatio, altercation-, from altercari, "to dispute (with another)," from alter, "other." The verb form is altercate. References 1. http://www.amazon.com/exec/ASIN/0385720599/ref=nosim/lexico 2. http://www.amazon.com/exec/ASIN/0141439831/ref=nosim/lexico Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=9&q=altercation