"debacle" meaning in English

See debacle in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /deɪˈbɑː.kəl/ [UK], /dɛˈbɑː.kəl/ [UK], /dɪˈbɑ.kəl/ [US], /dəˈbɑ.kəl/ [US], /deɪˈbɑ.kəl/ [US] Audio: en-us-debacle.ogg , en-us-debacle-2.ogg , en-au-debacle.ogg Forms: debacles [plural]
Rhymes: -ɑːkəl Etymology: From French débâcle, from débâcler (“to unbar; unleash”) from prefix dé- (“un-”) + bâcler (“to dash, bind, bar, block”) [perhaps from unattested Middle French and Old French *bâcler, *bacler (“to hold in place, prop a door or window open”)], from Vulgar Latin *bacculare, from Latin baculum (“rod, staff used for support”), from Proto-Indo-European *bak-. Also attested in Old French desbacler (“to clear a harbour by getting ships unloaded to make room for incoming ships with lading”) and in Occitan baclar (“to close”). The hypothesised derivation from Middle Dutch *bakkelen (“to freeze artificially, lock in place”), a frequentative of bakken (“to stick, stick hard, glue together”) no longer seems likely due to the lack of attestation of *bakkelen in Middle Dutch and by it having the limited meaning of "freeze superficially" in Dutch. Etymology templates: {{bor|en|fr|débâcle}} French débâcle, {{der|en|frm|-}} Middle French, {{der|en|fro|-}} Old French, {{der|en|VL.|*bacculare}} Vulgar Latin *bacculare, {{der|en|la|baculum||rod, staff used for support}} Latin baculum (“rod, staff used for support”), {{der|en|ine-pro|*bak-}} Proto-Indo-European *bak-, {{cog|fro|desbacler||to clear a harbour by getting ships unloaded to make room for incoming ships with lading}} Old French desbacler (“to clear a harbour by getting ships unloaded to make room for incoming ships with lading”), {{cog|oc|baclar||to close}} Occitan baclar (“to close”), {{ncog|dum|*bakkelen|t=to freeze artificially, lock in place}} Middle Dutch *bakkelen (“to freeze artificially, lock in place”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} debacle (plural debacles)
  1. An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously, often with humiliating consequences. Synonyms (An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously): fiasco Translations (event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously): διατροπή (diatropḗ) [feminine] (Ancient Greek), debakl [masculine] (Czech), verplettering [feminine] (Dutch), fiasco [neuter] (Dutch), debacle [neuter] (Dutch), fiasko (Esperanto), fuŝafero (Esperanto), fiasko (Finnish), epäonnistuminen (Finnish), fiasco [masculine] (French), débâcle [feminine] (French), Debakel [neuter] (German), fiaskó (Hungarian), kudarc (Hungarian), bukás (Hungarian), összeomlás (Hungarian), összeroppanás (Hungarian), fiasco [masculine] (Italian), 大失敗 (daishippai) (Japanese), izgāšanās (Latvian), hanepītanga (Maori), obsuwa [feminine, slang] (Polish), wtopa [colloquial, feminine] (Polish), fiasco [masculine] (Portuguese), фиа́ско (fiásko) [neuter] (Russian), прова́л (provál) [masculine] (Russian), debacle [feminine] (Spanish), desastre [masculine] (Spanish), debacle [neuter] (Swedish), hezimet (Turkish), fiyasko (Turkish), крах (krax) [masculine] (Ukrainian), фіаско (fiasko) [neuter] (Ukrainian), катастрофа (katastrofa) [feminine] (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-debacle-en-noun-QaNZOkM~ Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 47 53 Disambiguation of 'An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously': 91 9 Disambiguation of 'event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously': 90 10
  2. (ecology) A breaking up of a natural dam, usually made of ice, by a river and the ensuing rush of water. Categories (topical): Ecology Translations (break up of a natural dam): laukeaminen (Finnish), débâcle [feminine] (French), frantumazione [feminine] (Italian), isgang [masculine] (Norwegian Bokmål), isgang [masculine] (Norwegian Nynorsk), ледохо́д (ledoxód) [masculine] (Russian), вскры́тие реки́ (vskrýtije rekí) [feminine] (Russian), скресання (skresannja) (alt: річки) [neuter] (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-debacle-en-noun-0G4X8Sso Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 4 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Ancient Greek translations, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Esperanto translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Latvian translations, Terms with Maori translations, Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations, Terms with Norwegian Nynorsk translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Turkish translations, Terms with Ukrainian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 29 71 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 47 53 Disambiguation of Pages with 4 entries: 29 71 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 29 71 Disambiguation of Terms with Ancient Greek translations: 34 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 31 69 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 39 61 Disambiguation of Terms with Esperanto translations: 36 64 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 35 65 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 34 66 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 37 63 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 34 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 36 64 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 36 64 Disambiguation of Terms with Latvian translations: 35 65 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 35 65 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations: 36 64 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian Nynorsk translations: 30 70 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 34 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 39 61 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 36 64 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 36 64 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 35 65 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 35 65 Disambiguation of Terms with Ukrainian translations: 35 65 Topics: biology, ecology, natural-sciences Disambiguation of 'break up of a natural dam': 3 97
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: débâcle, debâcle [rare], débacle [rare]

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "débâcle"
      },
      "expansion": "French débâcle",
      "name": "bor"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "-"
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      "expansion": "Middle French",
      "name": "der"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French",
      "name": "der"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "VL.",
        "3": "*bacculare"
      },
      "expansion": "Vulgar Latin *bacculare",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "baculum",
        "4": "",
        "5": "rod, staff used for support"
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      "expansion": "Latin baculum (“rod, staff used for support”)",
      "name": "der"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bak-"
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      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *bak-",
      "name": "der"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fro",
        "2": "desbacler",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to clear a harbour by getting ships unloaded to make room for incoming ships with lading"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French desbacler (“to clear a harbour by getting ships unloaded to make room for incoming ships with lading”)",
      "name": "cog"
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    {
      "args": {
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        "2": "baclar",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to close"
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      "expansion": "Occitan baclar (“to close”)",
      "name": "cog"
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      "args": {
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        "2": "*bakkelen",
        "t": "to freeze artificially, lock in place"
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      "expansion": "Middle Dutch *bakkelen (“to freeze artificially, lock in place”)",
      "name": "ncog"
    }
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  "etymology_text": "From French débâcle, from débâcler (“to unbar; unleash”) from prefix dé- (“un-”) + bâcler (“to dash, bind, bar, block”) [perhaps from unattested Middle French and Old French *bâcler, *bacler (“to hold in place, prop a door or window open”)], from Vulgar Latin *bacculare, from Latin baculum (“rod, staff used for support”), from Proto-Indo-European *bak-.\nAlso attested in Old French desbacler (“to clear a harbour by getting ships unloaded to make room for incoming ships with lading”) and in Occitan baclar (“to close”).\nThe hypothesised derivation from Middle Dutch *bakkelen (“to freeze artificially, lock in place”), a frequentative of bakken (“to stick, stick hard, glue together”) no longer seems likely due to the lack of attestation of *bakkelen in Middle Dutch and by it having the limited meaning of \"freeze superficially\" in Dutch.",
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      "tags": [
        "plural"
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "debacle (plural debacles)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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  "hyphenation": [
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
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          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
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        {
          "ref": "1952, Boaz Cohen, Epistle to Yemen, translation of original by Maimonides, page 5:",
          "text": "The event proved to be a great debacle for the partisans of this prognosticator.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1996, Richard L. Canby, “SOF: An Alternative Perspective on Doctrine”, in Schultz et al, editor, Roles And Missions of SOF In The Aftermath Of The Cold War, page 188:",
          "text": "The result is a military approach which maximizes political tensions with Russia […] and lays the ground for a military debacle.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, “Statement by Peter Van Tuyn”, in BP pipeline failure: hearing before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, page 46:",
          "text": "The BP Prudhoe Bay debacle [the Prudhoe Bay oil spill] thus provides but the latest in a long line of reasons why leasing this region of the NPR-A is a bad idea.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
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      "glosses": [
        "An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously, often with humiliating consequences."
      ],
      "id": "en-debacle-en-noun-QaNZOkM~",
      "links": [
        [
          "event",
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        {
          "_dis1": "91 9",
          "sense": "An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "fiasco"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "debakl"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "verplettering"
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          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "nl",
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          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
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            "neuter"
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          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "nl",
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          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
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            "neuter"
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          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "eo",
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          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "fiasko"
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          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "fuŝafero"
        },
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          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "fiasko"
        },
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          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "epäonnistuminen"
        },
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          "code": "fr",
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          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
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          "word": "fiasco"
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          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
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          ],
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          "code": "de",
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          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Debakel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "diatropḗ",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "διατροπή"
        },
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          "_dis1": "90 10",
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          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "fiaskó"
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        },
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          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
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        },
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          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "összeomlás"
        },
        {
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          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "összeroppanás"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "fiasco"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "daishippai",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "大失敗"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "lv",
          "lang": "Latvian",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "izgāšanās"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "hanepītanga"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "obsuwa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial",
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "wtopa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "fiasco"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "fiásko",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "фиа́ско"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "provál",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "прова́л"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "debacle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "desastre"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "debacle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "hezimet"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "word": "fiyasko"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "krax",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "крах"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "fiasko",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "фіаско"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "katastrofa",
          "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "катастрофа"
        }
      ]
    },
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          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Ecology",
          "orig": "en:Ecology",
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            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
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        {
          "ref": "1836, Henry De La Beche, How to Observe: Geology, page 69:",
          "text": "[…] so that in extreme cases the latter may even be dammed up for a time, and a debacle be the consequence, when the main river overcomes the resistance opposed to it, […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1837, John Lee Comstock, Outlines of Geology, page 51:",
          "text": "For several months after the debacle just described, the river Dranse, having no settled channel, shifted its position continually […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1872, Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, page 425:",
          "text": "When this débâcle commences […], the masses of ice, drifting with the current and unable to pass, are hurled upon those already soldered together; thus an enormous barrier is formed […]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A breaking up of a natural dam, usually made of ice, by a river and the ensuing rush of water."
      ],
      "id": "en-debacle-en-noun-0G4X8Sso",
      "links": [
        [
          "ecology",
          "ecology"
        ],
        [
          "dam",
          "dam"
        ],
        [
          "ice",
          "ice"
        ],
        [
          "river",
          "river"
        ],
        [
          "rush",
          "rush"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(ecology) A breaking up of a natural dam, usually made of ice, by a river and the ensuing rush of water."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "biology",
        "ecology",
        "natural-sciences"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "3 97",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
          "word": "laukeaminen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 97",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "débâcle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 97",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "frantumazione"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 97",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "isgang"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 97",
          "code": "nn",
          "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
          "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "isgang"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 97",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "ledoxód",
          "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ледохо́д"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 97",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "vskrýtije rekí",
          "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "вскры́тие реки́"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 97",
          "alt": "річки",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "skresannja",
          "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "скресання"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/deɪˈbɑː.kəl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/dɛˈbɑː.kəl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/dɪˈbɑ.kəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/dəˈbɑ.kəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/deɪˈbɑ.kəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-debacle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ef/En-us-debacle.ogg/En-us-debacle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/En-us-debacle.ogg"
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    {
      "audio": "en-us-debacle-2.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b8/En-us-debacle-2.ogg/En-us-debacle-2.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/En-us-debacle-2.ogg"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-debacle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/6f/En-au-debacle.ogg/En-au-debacle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/En-au-debacle.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɑːkəl"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "débâcle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ],
      "word": "debâcle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ],
      "word": "débacle"
    }
  ],
  "word": "debacle"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from French",
    "English terms derived from French",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Middle French",
    "English terms derived from Old French",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "English terms derived from Vulgar Latin",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 4 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɑːkəl",
    "Rhymes:English/ɑːkəl/3 syllables",
    "Terms with Ancient Greek translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Esperanto translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Latvian translations",
    "Terms with Maori translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian Nynorsk translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Ukrainian translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "débâcle"
      },
      "expansion": "French débâcle",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "VL.",
        "3": "*bacculare"
      },
      "expansion": "Vulgar Latin *bacculare",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "baculum",
        "4": "",
        "5": "rod, staff used for support"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin baculum (“rod, staff used for support”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bak-"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *bak-",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fro",
        "2": "desbacler",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to clear a harbour by getting ships unloaded to make room for incoming ships with lading"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French desbacler (“to clear a harbour by getting ships unloaded to make room for incoming ships with lading”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "oc",
        "2": "baclar",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to close"
      },
      "expansion": "Occitan baclar (“to close”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "dum",
        "2": "*bakkelen",
        "t": "to freeze artificially, lock in place"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Dutch *bakkelen (“to freeze artificially, lock in place”)",
      "name": "ncog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From French débâcle, from débâcler (“to unbar; unleash”) from prefix dé- (“un-”) + bâcler (“to dash, bind, bar, block”) [perhaps from unattested Middle French and Old French *bâcler, *bacler (“to hold in place, prop a door or window open”)], from Vulgar Latin *bacculare, from Latin baculum (“rod, staff used for support”), from Proto-Indo-European *bak-.\nAlso attested in Old French desbacler (“to clear a harbour by getting ships unloaded to make room for incoming ships with lading”) and in Occitan baclar (“to close”).\nThe hypothesised derivation from Middle Dutch *bakkelen (“to freeze artificially, lock in place”), a frequentative of bakken (“to stick, stick hard, glue together”) no longer seems likely due to the lack of attestation of *bakkelen in Middle Dutch and by it having the limited meaning of \"freeze superficially\" in Dutch.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "debacles",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "debacle (plural debacles)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "de‧ba‧cle"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1952, Boaz Cohen, Epistle to Yemen, translation of original by Maimonides, page 5:",
          "text": "The event proved to be a great debacle for the partisans of this prognosticator.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1996, Richard L. Canby, “SOF: An Alternative Perspective on Doctrine”, in Schultz et al, editor, Roles And Missions of SOF In The Aftermath Of The Cold War, page 188:",
          "text": "The result is a military approach which maximizes political tensions with Russia […] and lays the ground for a military debacle.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, “Statement by Peter Van Tuyn”, in BP pipeline failure: hearing before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, page 46:",
          "text": "The BP Prudhoe Bay debacle [the Prudhoe Bay oil spill] thus provides but the latest in a long line of reasons why leasing this region of the NPR-A is a bad idea.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously, often with humiliating consequences."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "event",
          "event"
        ],
        [
          "enterprise",
          "enterprise"
        ],
        [
          "sudden",
          "sudden"
        ],
        [
          "disastrous",
          "disastrous"
        ],
        [
          "humiliating",
          "humiliating"
        ],
        [
          "consequences",
          "consequences"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Ecology"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1836, Henry De La Beche, How to Observe: Geology, page 69:",
          "text": "[…] so that in extreme cases the latter may even be dammed up for a time, and a debacle be the consequence, when the main river overcomes the resistance opposed to it, […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1837, John Lee Comstock, Outlines of Geology, page 51:",
          "text": "For several months after the debacle just described, the river Dranse, having no settled channel, shifted its position continually […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1872, Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, page 425:",
          "text": "When this débâcle commences […], the masses of ice, drifting with the current and unable to pass, are hurled upon those already soldered together; thus an enormous barrier is formed […]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A breaking up of a natural dam, usually made of ice, by a river and the ensuing rush of water."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ecology",
          "ecology"
        ],
        [
          "dam",
          "dam"
        ],
        [
          "ice",
          "ice"
        ],
        [
          "river",
          "river"
        ],
        [
          "rush",
          "rush"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(ecology) A breaking up of a natural dam, usually made of ice, by a river and the ensuing rush of water."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "biology",
        "ecology",
        "natural-sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/deɪˈbɑː.kəl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/dɛˈbɑː.kəl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/dɪˈbɑ.kəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/dəˈbɑ.kəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/deɪˈbɑ.kəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-debacle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ef/En-us-debacle.ogg/En-us-debacle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/En-us-debacle.ogg"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-debacle-2.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b8/En-us-debacle-2.ogg/En-us-debacle-2.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/En-us-debacle-2.ogg"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-debacle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/6f/En-au-debacle.ogg/En-au-debacle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/En-au-debacle.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɑːkəl"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "fiasco"
    },
    {
      "word": "débâcle"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ],
      "word": "debâcle"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ],
      "word": "débacle"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "debakl"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "verplettering"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "fiasco"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "debacle"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "fiasko"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "fuŝafero"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "fiasko"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "epäonnistuminen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "fiasco"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "débâcle"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Debakel"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "diatropḗ",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "διατροπή"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "fiaskó"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "kudarc"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "bukás"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "összeomlás"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "összeroppanás"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "fiasco"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "daishippai",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "大失敗"
    },
    {
      "code": "lv",
      "lang": "Latvian",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "izgāšanās"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "hanepītanga"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "slang"
      ],
      "word": "obsuwa"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "wtopa"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "fiasco"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "fiásko",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "фиа́ско"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "provál",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "прова́л"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "debacle"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "desastre"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "debacle"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "hezimet"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "word": "fiyasko"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "krax",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "крах"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "fiasko",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "фіаско"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "katastrofa",
      "sense": "event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "катастрофа"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
      "word": "laukeaminen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "débâcle"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "frantumazione"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "isgang"
    },
    {
      "code": "nn",
      "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
      "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "isgang"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "ledoxód",
      "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ледохо́д"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "vskrýtije rekí",
      "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "вскры́тие реки́"
    },
    {
      "alt": "річки",
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "skresannja",
      "sense": "break up of a natural dam",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "скресання"
    }
  ],
  "word": "debacle"
}

Download raw JSONL data for debacle meaning in English (13.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.