ruin

Ruin is the fallen or destroyed remains of something.

(noun)

An example of a ruin is what remains of the Colosseum in Rome.

Ruin is defined as to break or destroy something.

(verb)

An example of to ruin is breaking a water glass.

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See ruin in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

  1. Archaic a falling down, as of a building, wall, etc.
  2. the remains of a fallen building, city, etc., or of something devastated, decayed, etc.
    1. a destroyed or dilapidated building, town, etc.
    2. a person regarded as being physically, mentally, or morally a wreck of what he or she was
  3. the state of being destroyed, decayed, dilapidated, etc.
  4. downfall, destruction, devastation, etc.; specif.,
    1. complete loss of means, solvency, position, etc.
    2. moral downfall
    3. loss of chastity in a woman
  5. any cause of a person's downfall, destruction, etc.: gambling was his ruin

Origin: ME ruine < OFr < L ruina < ruere, to fall, hurl to the ground < IE *ereu- < base *er-, to set in motion, erect > run, rise

transitive verb

to bring or reduce to ruin; specif.,
  1. to destroy, spoil, or damage irreparably
  2. to impoverish or make bankrupt
  3. to deprive (a woman) of chastity

intransitive verb

to go or come to ruin

Related Forms:

See ruin in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. Total destruction or disintegration, either physical, moral, social, or economic.
  2. A cause of total destruction.
  3. a. The act of destroying totally.
    b. A destroyed person, object, or building.
  4. The remains of something destroyed, disintegrated, or decayed. Often used in the plural: studied the ruins of ancient Greece.
verb ru·ined, ru·in·ing, ru·ins
verb, transitive
  1. To destroy completely; demolish.
  2. To harm irreparably.
  3. To reduce to poverty or bankruptcy.
  4. To deprive of chastity.
verb, intransitive
To fall into ruin.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English ruine

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin ruīna

Origin: , from ruere, to rush, collapse

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Related Forms:

  • ruˈin·a·ble adjective
  • ruˈin·er noun

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