a fight between equally great opponents; dragon and tiger fighting one another
Idiomatic expression likening a fierce, evenly matched contest to a battle between a dragon and a tiger. Often used in literary or dramatic contexts.
The battle between the two great rivals is truly worthy of the phrase 'dragon and tiger fighting one another'.
Standard modern kanji form for this idiomatic expression.
Variant using 搏つ (to strike), less common than 打つ.
Uses the older 龍 form of 竜; it is containing out-dated kanji.
A classical Chinese-derived four-character idiom (四字熟語) composed of 竜 (dragon), 虎 (tiger), 相 (mutually), and 打つ (to strike/fight). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it draws on the traditional symbolism of dragons and tigers as powerful, evenly matched creatures.