HAVOC


Meaning of HAVOC in English

■ noun

1》 widespread destruction.

2》 great confusion or disorder.

■ verb ( ~s , ~king , ~ked ) archaic lay waste to.

Phrases

play ~ with completely disrupt.

Origin

ME: from Anglo-Norman Fr. havok , alt. of OFr. havot , of unknown origin; the word was orig. used in the phr. cry ~ 'give an army the order ~ ', which was the signal for plundering.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.