shambles

English

Etymology

From Middle English schamels, plural of schamel, from Old English sċeamol, sċamul (“bench, stool”), from Proto-West Germanic *skamul, *skamil (“stool, bench”), from Vulgar Latin scamellum, from Latin scamillum (“little bench, ridge”), from Latin scamnum (“bench, ridge, breadth of a field”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃæmbl̩z/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æmbl̩z

Noun

shambles (countable and uncountable, plural shambles)

1. (countable, uncountable) A scene of great disorder or ruin.
   • 1989 March 15, Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes:

     Considering my life's in shambles right now, couldn't you at least take the blame?

2. (countable) A great mess or clutter.

   This bedroom is a shambles.

3. (countable) A scene of bloodshed, carnage or devastation.
4. (countable) A slaughterhouse.
5. (countable, archaic) A butcher's shop.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 10:25:

     Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake.

   • 1729, [Jonathan Swift], A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to Their Parents, or the Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick, Dublin: […] S[arah] Harding, […], →OCLC, page 8:

     As to our City of Dublin, Shambles may be appointed for this purpoſe, in the moſt convenient parts of it, and Butchers vve may be aſſured vvill not be be vvanting, […]

Derived terms

• omnishambles
• shambolic
• shambolism
• shambly

Translations

scene of great disorder or ruin

• Czech: nepořádek (cs) m, chaos (cs) m
• French: fouillis (fr) m
• German: Durcheinander (de) n, Tohuwabohu (de) n, Schlachtfeld (de) n, Trümmerhaufen (de) m
• Hungarian: zűrzavar (hu)
• Japanese: 落花狼藉 (rakkarouzeki)
• Maori: kaumingomingo, kūnakunaku
• Russian: разру́ха (ru) f (razrúxa), руи́ны (ru) f pl (ruíny), разва́лины (ru) f pl (razváliny)

great mess or clutter

• Czech: nepořádek (cs) m, binec (cs) m
• Danish: rodebutik c
• French: capharnaüm (fr) m, bordel (fr) m, chienlit (fr) f
• German: Durcheinander (de) n, Chaos (de) n, Scherbenhaufen (de) m, Saustall (de) m
• Hungarian: rendetlenség (hu), összevisszaság (hu)
• Japanese: 大混乱 (daikonran)
• Maori: kūnakunaku
• Portuguese: bagunça total
• Russian: неразбери́ха (ru) f (nerazberíxa), беспоря́док (ru) m (besporjádok), каварда́к (ru) m (kavardák), барда́к (ru) m (bardák), пу́таница (ru) f (pútanica), бедла́м (ru) m (bedlám)
• Swedish: röra (sv) c
• Thai: เละเทะ (th) (lé-té), เละตุ้มเป๊ะ (lé-dtûm-bpé)

scene of bloodshed, carnage or devastation

• Danish: slagtehus n
• German: Schlachtfeld (de) n
• Hungarian: pusztulás (hu), romhalmaz (hu)
• Irish: cosair chró f
• Japanese: 修羅の巷 (syura no chimata)
• Russian: бо́йня (ru) f (bójnja)

slaughterhouse

• Czech: jatka (cs) n pl
• Danish: slagtehus n
• Galician: matadoiro (gl) m
• German: Schlachthaus (de) n
• Hungarian: vágóhíd (hu)
• Japanese: 屠所 (tosho), 畜殺場 (chikusatsuba)
• Korean: 도축장(屠畜場) (dochukjang)
• Portuguese: matadouro (pt)
• Russian: бо́йня (ru) f (bójnja), скотобо́йня (ru) f (skotobójnja)
• Spanish: matadero (es) f

butcher’s shop

• German: Fleischerei (de) f, Fleischhauer (de) m, Metzgerei (de) f
• Hungarian: mészárszék (hu)
• Scottish Gaelic: margadh na feòla m
• Spanish: carnicería (es) f

Verb

shambles

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of shamble

References

• “shambles”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “shambles”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.