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Waterloo1 definition

Water·loo (wôt′ər lo̵̅o̅′, wôt′ər lo̵̅o̅′)

noun

any disastrous or decisive defeat

Etymology: after Waterloo, the scene of Napoleon's defeat

Waterloo2 definition

Water·loo (wôt′ər lo̵̅o̅′, wôt′ər lo̵̅o̅′)

  1. Etymology: after the town in Belgium

    city in NE Iowa: pop. 69,000
  2. town in central Belgium, south of Brussels: scene of Napoleon's final defeat (June 18, 1815) by the Allies under Wellington & Blücher: pop. 25,000

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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