debacle, fiasco
(noun) a sudden and violent collapse
thrashing, walloping, debacle, drubbing, slaughter, trouncing, whipping
(noun) a sound defeat
debacle
(noun) flooding caused by a tumultuous breakup of ice in a river during the spring or summer
Source: WordNet® 3.1
debacle (plural debacles)
An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously, often with humiliating consequences. [from early 19th c.]
(ecology) A breaking up of a natural dam, usually made of ice, by a river and the ensuing rush of water.
• The older spelling with accents is no longer listed at all or only mentioned as an alternative in the online versions of most major British and American dictionaries.
• (An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously): fiasco
• belaced
Source: Wiktionary
De*ba"cle, n. Etym: [F. débâcle, fr. débâcler to unbar, break loose; pref. dé- (prob. = L. dis) + bâcler to bolt, fr. L. baculum a stick.] (Geol.)
Definition: A breaking or bursting forth; a violent rush or flood of waters which breaks down opposing barriers, and hurls forward and disperses blocks of stone and other débris.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
20 June 2025
(adjective) marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself; “a modest apartment”; “too modest to wear his medals”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
