Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A fighting with a shadow; a futile combat with an imaginary enemy. Also sciomachy.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun See sciomachy.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun shadow-boxing; fighting that is futile or make-believe

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Greek σκιαμαχια, from σκια ‘shadow’ + μαχη ‘battle’.

Support

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Examples

  • The only thing that is even mildly interesting in this 21st C. litigious sciamachy is: how often are haemorrhoids induced by an elbow in the breast?

    Just when you thought it was safe to fly again « Anglican Samizdat 2008

  • The first to hear the dreaded elimination bell was 12-year-old Emily Keaton of Pikeville, Ky., who left the "c" out of "sciamachy," a noun that means fighting with a shadow.

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • The first to hear the dreaded elimination bell was 12-year-old Emily Keaton of Pikeville, Ky., who left the "c" out of "sciamachy," a noun that means fighting with a shadow.

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • Hannah Nicklin posted on Evidence shows that privatising welfare actually wastes money sciamachy posted on Evidence shows that privatising welfare actually wastes money sunny hundal posted on Evidence shows that privatising welfare actually wastes money margin4error posted on Wind now delivering about 10% of UK power

    UkPoliBlog: Composite feed 2010

  • The absurdity is that we don’t even have a satellite in orbit that is monitoring current CO2 abundances in the mid and far infrared, sciamachy is trying using the near infrared with very limited results so far.

    Unthreaded #5 « Climate Audit 2007

Comments

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  • Sciamachy just about sums up Don Quixote's behavior towards windmills.

    February 2, 2012