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Added 10 October 2026

debacle

/deɪˈbɑː.kəl/ noun

Latin root: baculum Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about debacle at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A sudden and violent collapse.
Flooding caused by a tumultuous breakup of ice in a river during the spring or summer.
A sound defeat.

Origin

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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