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shambles definition

sham·bles (-bəlz)

noun

  1. Brit. a place where meat is sold; butcher's stall or shop: now only a local usage, esp. in street names
  2. a slaughterhouse
  3. a scene of great slaughter, bloodshed, or carnage
  4. any scene or condition of great destruction or disorder rooms left a shambles by conventioneers

Etymology: ME schamel, bench, as for displaying meat for sale < OE scamol, bench or stool, akin to Ger schemel < early WGmc borrowing < L scamellum, dim. < scamnum, bench < IE base *skabh-, *skambh-, to prop up > Sans skámbhana-, a support

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

shambles Synonyms

shambles

n.

mess, hodge-podge, confusion; see disorder 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

shambles Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • become: The Tax Credit system has become a complete shambles.

Preposition: at

  • back: Goodness me what a shambles at the back during the Cheltenham draw at the KC Stadium.

Adjective modifier

  • utter: With that we left the utter shambles of the fall of Singapore.

Noun used with modifier

  • planning: Well done, Surrey, for using the ' planning shambles ' to resist this invasion.

Possessives

  • butcher: The livestock market and butchers ' shambles used to take place in the market place and the yards of the inns along Sun Street.

Preposition: in

  • system: The result of the events of 1996 was a complete shambles in the asylum system.

Preposition: of

  • government: On Tuesday Michael Howard captured the mood of a nation longing for something better than this shambles of a government.
shambles usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"shambles." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/shambles>

APA Style

shambles. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/shambles

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