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illustration Fracas

Fracas

[FREY-kəs]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Italian, early 18th century

1.

A noisy disturbance or quarrel.

Examples of Fracas in a sentence

"Both teams were disqualified after the fracas on the court."

"The town council meeting turned into a fracas over the new zoning proposal. "

About Fracas

Fracas comes from the French verb "fracasser," which means "to smash violently." But the French got it from the Italians — "fracassare," which means "make an uproar." A fracas doesn't have to be physical, but it's likely noisy and outrageous.

Did you Know?

If you throw yourself into the fray, you'll find yourself in a fracas. Pronounce the first syllable of "fracas" like the word "fray," with a long "a." If you're in the U.S., pronounce the "s" on the end, but drop it if you're using British English.

illustration Fracas

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