shambles

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”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃæmbl̩z/

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• Rhymes: -æmbl̩z

shambles (plural shambles)

1. 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. 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.
   • 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

     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 […]

• omnishambles
• shambolic
• shambolism
• shambly

shambles

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

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