DEBACLE


Meaning of DEBACLE in English

/day bah"keuhl, -bak"euhl, deuh-/ , n.

1. a general breakup or dispersion; sudden downfall or rout: The revolution ended in a debacle.

2. a complete collapse or failure.

3. a breaking up of ice in a river. Cf. embacle .

4. a violent rush of waters or ice.

[ 1795-1805; débâcle, deriv. of débâcler to unbar, clear, equiv. to dé- DIS- 1 + bâcler to bar baculum stick, rod ]

Syn. 2. disaster, ruin, fiasco, catastrophe, calamity.

Random House Webster's Unabridged English dictionary.      Полный английский словарь Вебстер - Random House .