n.
Pronunciation: ' rü- ə n, - ˌ in; ' rün
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English ruine, from Anglo-French, from Latin ruina, from ruere to rush headlong, fall, collapse
Date: 12th century
1 a archaic : a falling down : COLLAPSE <from age to age ⋯ the crash of ruin fitfully resounds ― William Wordsworth> b : physical, moral, economic, or social collapse
2 a : the state of being ruined ― archaic except in plural <the city lay in ruin s > b : the remains of something destroyed ― usually used in plural <the ruin s of an ancient temple> <the ruin s of his life>
3 : a cause of destruction
4 a : the action of destroying, laying waste, or wrecking b : DAMAGE , INJURY
5 : a ruined building, person, or object
– ru · in · ate \ ' rü- ə - ˌ n ā t, -n ə t \ adjective
– ruinate \ - ˌ n ā t \ transitive verb