tne meaning of "parry with"

[kjc0123]

What's tne meaning of "parry with" in the following sentences?

In July 1780 France's Louis XVI had sent to America an expeditionary force of 6,000 men under the Comte Jean de Rochambeau. In addition, the French fleet harassed British shipping and prevented reinforcement and resupply of British forces in Virginia by a British fleet sailing from New York City. French and American armies and navies, totaling 18,000 men, parried with Cornwallis all through the summer and into the fall. Finally, on October 19, 1781, after being trapped at Yorktown near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, Cornwallis surrendered his army of 8,000 British soldiers.

[andy hughes]

Literally, 'parry' is a fencing term, meaning to block a stab, or slash from an opponent. In this conext, it means that the armies fought each other for some time, without a clear winner emerging - they were pretty evenly matched.

[Peter Pedant]

hi kay jay

better late than never!

parrying a blow is to block it. It seems rather odd that they were blocking blows down a coast. I think he meant they fenced downn the coast. I also think he was wondering about harrying - that it to repeatedly make small attacks, and sort of came up with a hybrid parry.