skirmish vs contend

skirmish is a noun but contend is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
skirmish	Yes	No	Yes	No
contend	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, contend is a hypernym of skirmish; that is, contend is a word with a broader meaning than skirmish:

Other hypernyms of skirmish include fight, struggle.

skirmish (noun)	contend (noun)
a minor short-term fight

skirmish (verb)	contend (verb)
engage in a skirmish	to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation
	have an argument about something
	maintain or assert
	compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
	be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
	succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available