Melee
Hand-to-hand combat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A melee (/ˈmeɪleɪ/ or /ˈmɛleɪ/) is hand-to-hand fighting among several people. The English term melee originated circa 1648 from the French word mêlée (French: [mɛle]), derived from the Old French mesler, from which medley and meddle were also derived.[1]
The 1812 tabletop wargame Kriegsspiel, and H.G. Wells' 1913 Little Wars, referred to the hand-combat stage of the game as a melée, or mêlée, respectively.[2][3] The term was brought over to tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, and in turn to role-playing video games, to describe any form of close proximity and physical contact in combat.[4]
See also
- Combatives
- Tournament (medieval) § Melee
- Super Smash Bros. Melee (Often called "Melee" by fans)
- Armored combat (sport) for the modern revival of medieval melee