| Noun | 1. | World War 1 - a war between the allies (Russia, France, British Empire, Italy, United States, Japan, Rumania, Serbia, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Montenegro) and the central powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria) from 1914 to 1918world war - a war in which the major nations of the world are involved Dardanelles campaign, Dardanelles - the unsuccessful campaign in World War I (1915) by the English and French to open a passage for aid to Russia; defeated by the Turks battle of Jutland, Jutland - an indecisive naval battle in World War I (1916); fought between the British and German fleets off the northwestern coast of Denmark battle of Verdun, Verdun - a battle in World War I (1916); in some of the bloodiest fighting in World War I the German offensive was stopped second battle of Ypres, Ypres, battle of Ypres - battle in World War I (1915); Germans wanted to try chlorine (a toxic yellow gas) as a weapon and succeeded in taking considerable territory from the Allied salient battle of Ypres, third battle of Ypres, Ypres - battle in World War I (1917); an Allied offensive which eventually failed because tanks bogged down in the waterlogged soil of Flanders; Germans introduced mustard gas which interfered with the Allied artillery | |