débâcler
51débâcle — [19] A débâcle is etymologically an ‘act of unbarring’, the notion behind it being that once a restraining bar is removed, a rush of disasters follows. It was borrowed at the start of the 19th century (originally in the technical geological sense …
52debacle — [di bä′kəl, dibak′əl; dābä′kəl] n. [Fr débâcle, breakup, overthrow < débâcler, to break up < dé , DE , + bâcler, to bar, prob. < VL * bacculare < * bacculum, var. of L baculum, staff: see BACILLUS] 1. a breaking up of ice in a river,… …
53dé|bâ|cle — de|ba|cle or dé|bâ|cle «day BAH kuhl, BAK uhl; dih », noun. 1. a sudden downfall or collapse; overwhelming breakdown or failure; disaster: »The election was a great debacle for the party in power, since most of its candidates lost. 2. the… …
54de|ba|cle — or dé|bâ|cle «day BAH kuhl, BAK uhl; dih », noun. 1. a sudden downfall or collapse; overwhelming breakdown or failure; disaster: »The election was a great debacle for the party in power, since most of its candidates lost. 2. the breaking up of… …
