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fracas

[ frey-kuhs, frak-uhs; British frak-ah ]
/ ˈfreɪ kəs, ˈfræk əs; British ˈfræk ɑ /
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noun
a noisy, disorderly disturbance or fight; riotous brawl; uproar.
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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

Words nearby fracas

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fracas in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fracas

fracas
/ (ˈfrækɑː) /

noun
a noisy quarrel; brawl

Word Origin for fracas

C18: from French, from fracasser to shatter, from Latin frangere to break, influenced by quassāre to shatter
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
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