Shambles Definition
shămbəlz
noun
A scene or condition of complete disorder or ruin.
American Heritage
A place where meat is sold; butcher's stall or shop.
Webster's New World
Great clutter or jumble; a total mess.
Made dinner and left the kitchen a shambles.
American Heritage
A slaughterhouse.
Webster's New World
A place or scene of bloodshed or carnage.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
verb
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of shamble.
Wiktionary
Origin of Shambles
From Middle English shamel, shambil place where meat is butchered and sold from Old English sceamol table, counter (as one on which items for sale are placed) from Latin scabillum, scamillum diminutive of scamnum bench, stool
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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From Old English scamul. A borrowing from Vulgar Latin scamellum, diminutive of Latin scamnum (“bench").
From Wiktionary
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