A close, violent air combat between fighter planes; also used to describe any fierce, chaotic competition or struggle.
Compound of 'dog' and 'fight,' first used in aviation during World War I. The term references the chaotic, unpredictable nature of dogs fighting, applied to the aerial combat style.
The military pilots who pioneered dogfighting tactics had to invent completely new physics—they realized you couldn't fly like planes do today because they flew by instinct like dogs did in a fight!
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