To quarrel or argue loudly; to have a heated dispute with someone.
From Latin altercari, meaning 'to dispute' or 'wrangle,' possibly derived from alter (other), as if 'speaking as the other side.' The term entered Middle English from legal/diplomatic vocabulary and peaked in the 18th-19th centuries.
The word 'altercate' mysteriously vanished from common speech around 1900, but 'altercation' (the fight that results) is still going strong! It's one of those words that lives on in its noun form while the verb sleeps.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.