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shambles

2 ENTRIES FOUND:
  1. shambles (noun plural but singular or plural in construction)
  2. shamble (verb)

sham·bles

noun pl but singular or pl in constr \ˈsham-bəlz\

Definition of SHAMBLES

1
archaic : a meat market
2
: slaughterhouse
3
a : a place of mass slaughter or bloodshed <the battlefield became a shambles> b : a scene or a state of great destruction : wreckage <the city was a shambles after the bombing> c (1) : a scene or a state of great disorder or confusion <an economy in shambles> (2) : great confusion : mess

Origin of SHAMBLES

Middle English shameles, plural of schamel vendor's table, footstool, from Old English sceamol stool, from Latin scamillum, diminutive of scamnum stool, bench; perhaps akin to Sanskrit skambha pillar
First Known Use: 15th century

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