1. A sudden, disastrous collapse, downfall, or defeat; a rout. 2. A total, often ludicrous failure. 3. The breaking up of ice in a river. 4. A violent flood.
ETYMOLOGY:
French débâcle, from débâcler, to unbar, from Old French desbacler : des-, de- + bacler, to bar (from Vulgar Latin *bacculre, from Latin baculum, rod; see bak- in Appendix I).
d
-bä
k
l, -b
k
b
re, from Latin baculum, rod; see bak- in Appendix I).
