débrouillard

[ dey-broo-yar ]

adjective

1. skilled at adapting to any situation; resourceful.

noun

, plural dé·brouil·lards [dey-b, r, oo-, yar].

1. a resourceful person who can act independently or cope with any development.

Word History and Origins

Origin of débrouillard¹

First recorded in 1890–95; from French débrouiller “to disentangle” (from dé- de- ( def ) + brouiller “to make cloudy, confuse, quarrel”) + -ard -ard ( def ); embroil ( def )