cul-de-sac

[ kuhl-duh-sak, -sak, kool-; French kyduh-sak ]

/ ˈkʌl dəˈsæk, -ˌsæk, ˈkʊl-; French küdəˈsak /

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noun, plural culs-de-sac

[kuhlz-duh-sak, -sak, koolz-; French kyduh-sak]. /ˈkʌlz dəˈsæk, -ˌsæk, ˈkʊlz-; French küdəˈsak/.

a street, lane, etc., closed at one end; blind alley; dead-end street.

any situation in which further progress is impossible.

the hemming in of a military force on all sides except behind.

Anatomy. a saclike cavity, tube, or the like, open only at one end, as the cecum.

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Origin of cul-de-sac

1730–40; <French: literally, bottom of the sack

Words nearby cul-de-sac

Cukor, CUL8R, Culbertson, culch, culchie, cul-de-sac, culdocentesis, culdoplasty, culdoscope, culdoscopy, -cule

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use cul-de-sac in a sentence

In the last year, her fusion exercise class has attracted a cult following and become de rigueur among the celebrity set.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They tried to continue their getaway but had to quickly abandon their vehicle on the Rue de Meaux in the 19th.
Police Hunt for Paris Massacre Suspects|Tracy McNicoll, Christopher Dickey|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Humans spent a long time domesticating cattle, and what they were trying to do, in essence, was de-domesticate them.
‘Nazi Cows’ Tried to Kill British Farmer|Tom Sykes|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The band was still on its way back as De Blasio and his wife departed.
Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss|Michael Daly|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Yet even after the funeral protest, de Blasio was booed and heckled while addressing a new class of recruits as well.
We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This|Nick Gillespie|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Madame de Condillac stood watching him, her face composed, her glance cold.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Then the door opened, the portiere was swept aside, and Anselme announced "Monsieur de Garnache."
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
San Antonio de Bexar lies in a fertile and well-irrigated valley, stretching westward from the river Salado.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
One evening, while he was thus engaged, he observed de Patinos and Duke Wharton enter together.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Without any known cause of offence, a tacit acknowledgement of mutual dislike was shewn by Louis and de Patinos.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for cul-de-sac

cul-de-sac

/ (ˈkʌldəˌsæk, ˈkʊl-) /

noun plural culs-de-sac or cul-de-sacs

a road with one end blocked off; dead end

an inescapable position

any tube-shaped bodily cavity or pouch closed at one end, such as the caecum

Word Origin for cul-de-sac

C18: from French, literally: bottom of the bag

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for cul-de-sac

cul-de-sac

[ kŭl′dĭ-săk′, kul′- ]

n. pl. culs-de-sac (kŭlz′-, kulz′-)

A saclike cavity or tube open only at one end.

cul-de-sac

Origin of cul-de-sac

Words nearby cul-de-sac

Words related to cul-de-sac

How to use cul-de-sac in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cul-de-sac

Word Origin for cul-de-sac

Medical definitions for cul-de-sac