debacle
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de·ba·cle
(dĭ-bä′kəl, -băk′əl, dĕb′ə-kəl)n.
1. A sudden, disastrous collapse, downfall, or defeat; a rout.
2. A total, often ludicrous failure.
3. The breaking up of ice in a river.
4. A violent flood.
[French débâcle, from débâcler, to unbar, from Old French desbacler : des-, de- + bacler, to bar (from Vulgar Latin *bacculāre, from Latin baculum, rod; see bak- in Indo-European roots).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
debacle
(deɪˈbɑːkəl; dɪ-)n
1. (Military) a sudden disastrous collapse or defeat, esp one involving a disorderly retreat; rout
2. (Environmental Science) the breaking up of ice in a river during spring or summer, often causing flooding
3. (Environmental Science) a violent rush of water carrying along debris
[C19: from French débâcle, from Old French desbacler to unbolt, ultimately from Latin baculum rod, staff]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
de•ba•cle
(dəˈbɑ kəl, -ˈbæk əl, deɪ-)n.
1. a disaster or fiasco.
2. a general rout or dispersal of troops.
3. a breaking up of ice in a river.
[1795–1805; < French débâcle, derivative of débâcler to unbar, clear =dé- dis-1 + bâcler to bar « Latin baculum stick, rod]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
debacle
- Comes from French debacler, "to unbar, free," with the root sense being "to shatter with one's rod"; its original meaning was "a breaking-up of ice in a river" or a "sudden flood or rush of water carrying debris."See also related terms for rush.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
Debacle
a confused rush or route; a violent rush of water.Example: a debacle of water, 1823.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | debacle - a sudden and violent collapse collapse - a natural event caused by something suddenly falling down or caving in; "the roof is in danger of collapse"; "the collapse of the old star under its own gravity" |
| 2. | debacle - flooding caused by a tumultuous breakup of ice in a river during the spring or summer flood, inundation, alluvion, deluge - the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land; "plains fertilized by annual inundations" | |
| 3. |  debacle - a sound defeat |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
debacle
débâclenoun disaster, catastrophe, fiasco the convention was a debacle
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
debacle
nounThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
epäonnistuminenfiaskolaukeaminen
debacle
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
débâcle
n → Debakel nt → (over bei)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995