pandemonium

English

WOTD – 25 August 2007    

Alternative forms

• pandaemonium
• pandæmonium

Etymology

Coined by John Milton in "Paradise Lost," Pandæmonium, from Ancient Greek πᾶν (pan, “all”) (equivalent to English pan-) + Late Latin daemonium (“evil spirit, demon”), from Ancient Greek δαίμων (daimōn, “demon”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˌpændɪˈməʊnɪəm/
• (US) IPA: /ˌpændəˈmoʊniəm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊniəm

Noun

pandemonium (plural pandemoniums or pandemonia)

1. (archaic) A place where all demons live; Hell.
   • 1674 — John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book I

     And Trumpets sound throughout the Host proclaim
     A solemn Councel forthwith to be held
     At Pandæmonium, the high Capitol
     Of Satan and his Peers.

2. Chaos; tumultuous or lawless violence.
   • 2004, Boston Globe, October 22

     Whenever you have violent pandemonium, there's the overwhelming possibility for panic and tragedy.

3. An outburst; loud, riotous uproar, especially of a crowd.

Synonyms

• (tumultuous or lawless violence): chaos
• (an outburst): outburst, uproar

Related terms

• pandemoniac

Translations

chaos; tumultuous or lawless violence

• Dutch: pandemonium (nl) n
• French: chaos (fr) m
• German: Chaos (de) n, Hexensabbat (de) m
• Greek: πανδαιμόνιο (el) (pandaimónio) n

• Icelandic: ringlulreið f
• Portuguese: pandemônio (pt) m, caos (pt) m
• Romanian: pandemoniu (ro) n, haos (ro) n
• Urdu: شور (ur) (sh-o-r), افراتفری (ur) (af-rat-'aghr-i)

an outburst; loud, riotous uproar

• Dutch: pandemonium (nl) n
• Finnish: mekastus
• French: chaos (fr) m, charivari (fr) m, tumulte (fr) m, chahut (fr) m
• German: Tumult (de) m, Hexensabbat (de) m

• Greek: πανδαιμόνιο (el) (pandaimónio) n
• Portuguese: confusão (pt) f, balbúrdia (pt) f, tumulto (pt) m
• Romanian: haos (ro) n

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Dutch

Noun

pandemonium n (plural pandemoniums, diminutive pandemoniumpje)

1. pandemonium, residence of all demons/devils, hell;
2. pandemonium, a 'hellish' chaos, notably terrible noise and disorder