skirmish
n.a short fight between small groups of soldiers. It can also mean a small, quick argument between people who disagree.
n.a brief and unplanned episode of irregular or minor fighting, typically between small detachments of armies. Often used figuratively to describe a minor dispute or contest.
“The two armies had a small skirmish near the border.”
“What began as a minor skirmish over a parking space quickly turned into a loud argument involving the whole street.”
“Historians describe the event not as a full-scale battle, but as a series of brief skirmishes that eventually forced the smaller force to retreat into the mountains.”
Often takes the preposition 'with' or 'between'.
“After several skirmishes with police, including having to be brought down from the roof of his accommodation, he was sent to an adult prison aged 18.”
“On one occasion, a skirmish between the two groups resulted in the deaths of two white men and two Native Americans, angering white authorities and settlers.”
From Middle English skirmish (as a verb), from Old French escarmouche (“skirmish”), from Italian scaramuccia, earlier schermugio. Doublet of escarmouche, Scaramouche, and Scaramucci.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.