A melee ( or ) is hand-to-hand fighting among several people. The English term melee originated circa 1648 from the French word ' (), derived from the Old French mesler, from which medley and meddle were also derived.
The 19th century tabletop wargame Kriegsspiel, and H.G. Wells' 1913 Little Wars, referred to the hand-combat stage of the game as a melée, or ', respectively. 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.
See also
- Combatives
- Melee weapons
- Super Smash Bros. Melee (Often called "Melee" by fans)
- Armored combat (sport) for the modern revival of medieval melee