battalia

Noun

battalia (countable and uncountable, plural battalias)

1. (obsolete, uncountable) Order of battle; disposition or arrangement of troops or of a naval force, ready for action.
   • […]but we find, by a sad experience, that few questions are well stated; and when they are, they are not consented to; and when they are agreed on by both sides that they are well stated, it is nothing else but a drawing up the armies in battalia with great skill and discipline; the next thing they...1651, Jeremy Taylor, “Sermon VI”, in The Sermons of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, Philadelphia: H. Hooker, published 1845, pages 456–457
   • Two rival armies all the plain o'erspread, / Each in battalia rang'd, and shining arms array'd1695, William Congreve, “To the King on the taking of Namur”, in A Complete Edition of the British Poets, volume 7, London: John & Arthur Arch, published 1795, stanza IV, page 537
2. (countable, obsolete) An army in battle array; also, the main battalia or body of the army, as distinct from the vanguard and rear.
   • Why, our battalia trebles that accountc. 1592, William Shakespeare, Richard III, act 5, scene 3, line 11