shambles

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology

From Old English scamul. A borrowing from Vulgar Latin scamellum, diminutive of Latin scamnum (“bench”).

Noun

shambles (uncountable)

1. a scene of great disorder or ruin
2. a great mess or clutter

   This website is a shambles.

3. a scene of bloodshed, carnage or devastation
4. a slaughterhouse
5. (archaic) a butcher's shop
   • Jonathan Swift

     As to our city of Dublin, shambles may be appointed for this purpose in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers we may be assured will not be wanting […]

Derived terms

• omnishambles
• shambolic

Translations

a scene of great disorder or ruin

• French: fouillis (fr) m
• Hungarian: zűrzavar (hu)

• Russian: разруха (ru) (razruxa) f

a great mess or clutter

• French: capharnaüm (fr) m, bordel (fr) m
• Hungarian: rendetlenség (hu), összevisszaság (hu)

• Russian: неразбериха (ru) (nerazberixa) f, беспорядок (ru) (besporjadok) m

a scene of bloodshed, carnage or devastation

• Hungarian: pusztulás (hu), romhalmaz (hu)

• Russian: бойня (ru) (bojnja) f

a slaughterhouse

• Hungarian: vágóhíd (hu)

• Russian: бойня (ru) (bojnja) f
• Spanish: matadero (es) f

(archaic) a butcher's shop

• Hungarian: mészárszék (hu)

Verb

shambles

1. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of shamble.