fracas
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of fracas
First recorded in 1720–30; < French, from Italian fracasso, derivative of fracassare “to smash,” equivalent to fra- “completely” (from Latin infrā “among”) + cassare “to break”; see cassation
Explanation
If your marching band gets into a fight with another school's pep squad, your principal might say the fracas was uncalled for and undignified. A fracas is a noisy quarrel. Fracas comes from an Italian word meaning "uproar" or "crash." Two people in a quiet little spat is not a fracas, but a schoolyard rumble definitely qualifies as one! Sometimes fracas means the large amount of outraged discussion that an event causes. Imagine the fracas if your school decided to ban sneakers!
Vocabulary lists containing fracas
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some betting experts differ on which CEO would prevail in a Fracas in Vegas.
From Reuters • Jun. 22, 2023
A cloud of tuberose hanging in the air, for example, might prompt a woman to head out in search of Robert Piguet’s Fracas.
From New York Times • Oct. 2, 2016
I wear Fracas myself and I've been wearing it for years and years and years, and I try other perfumes all the time, and I always come back to it.
From Seattle Times • May 10, 2012
Mets’ Bullpen Coach Takes Responsibility for Fracas Two days after closer and a team coach, Randy Niemann, got into a heated confrontation at , peace appeared to return to the team’s clubhouse and bullpen.
From New York Times • May 26, 2010
"The Ode to a Seamew," the "Fracas on an Ice Floe," and the sequence of triolimericks are all new.
From Shandygaff by Morley, Christopher
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
