cul-de-sac

American  

[kuhl-duh-sak, -sak, kool-, kyd^uh-sak] / ˈkʌl dəˈsæk, -ˌsæk, ˈkʊl-, küdəˈsak /

noun

plural

culs-de-sac

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

2. any situation in which further progress is impossible.

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

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

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cul-de-sac British  

/ ˈkʌldəˌsæk, ˈkʊl- /

noun

1. a road with one end blocked off; dead end

2. an inescapable position

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

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Etymology

Origin of cul-de-sac

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

Example Sentences

Along with braggadocio, attitude, posturing and the kind of public servants one finds in action movies, Mr. Carnahan creates tension and atmosphere: The neighborhood around Desi’s house, our investigating officers discover, is a cul-de-sac lined with empty houses.

From The Wall Street Journal

It comes after the recent soap crossover episode celebrating Hollyoaks' 30th anniversary where camera crews returned to the famous cul-de-sac in Liverpool for the one-off special episode.

From BBC

In 1978, a landslide destroyed the segment of Highway 39 that connected it to Highway 2, turning it into what one public official called “a 27-mile-long cul-de-sac.”

From Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that deputies responded to the 1000 block of E. Angela Court, a suburban street that ends in a cul-de-sac lined with single-family homes with red tile roofs and two-car garages.

From Los Angeles Times

He added; "The mind-numbing third film in James Cameron's mega-franchise proves he's stuck in a creative cul-de-sac."

From BBC