melee

or mê·lée

[ mey-ley, mey-ley, mel-ey ]

/ ˈmeɪ leɪ, meɪˈleɪ, ˈmɛl eɪ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR melee ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a confused hand-to-hand fight or struggle among several people.

confusion; turmoil; jumble: the melee of Christmas shopping.

Nearby words

meld, melder, meldrew, meleager, meleagrides, melee, melena, meleney's gangrene, melete, meletin, meliaceous

Origin of melee

From the French word mêlée, dating back to 1640–50. See medley

Definition for melee (2 of 2)

melee

[ mey-ley, mey-ley ]

/ ˈmeɪ leɪ, meɪˈleɪ /

noun

a group of diamonds, each weighing less than 0.25 carat.

Origin of melee

First recorded in 1910–15; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for melee

In fact, Clark fell back first from her blows, losing his cap, tie, and badge in the melee.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’|Gary May|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was Orlando vs. Justin in an Ibiza melee with two highly unlikely opposing parties.
The Bloom-Bieber Brawl We Didn’t Know We Needed|Kevin O’Keeffe|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They made one last charge for the airport, and when the riot police blocked them again a melee ensued.
Mexican Protesters Look to Start a New Revolution|Jason McGahan|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Kurds entered a buffer zone on the Turkish border and in the melee at least four protestor were wounded.
Kobani Still Stands Against ISIS and All Odds. But for How Long?|Jamie Dettmer|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Unconfirmed reports in Turkish Internet media said Erdogan himself had slapped a man in the melee.
After 100s of Miners Die, Turkey’s Prime Minister Says “This Happens”|Thomas Seibert|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the melee we noticed the front end of a gasoline launch rise from some snags—a wreck, buoyed up by the air in the tank.
The houseboat book|William F. Waugh
Hungry masses crowded the shops, and that some should emerge meatless from the melee was inevitable.
The Siege of Kimberley|T. Phelan
The melee that ensued was perhaps the most dreadful hand-to-hand conflict of the war.
Notable Events of the Nineteenth Century|Various
His first onset was terrific; but in the fiercest excitement of the melee he knew when to call a halt.
Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay|George Otto Trevelyan
This hail of jests fell round Biscarrat's ears like musket-balls in a melee.
The Man in the Iron Mask|Alexandre Dumas, Pere

British Dictionary definitions for melee

melee

mle

/ (ˈmɛleɪ) /

noun

a noisy riotous fight or brawl

Word Origin for melee

C17: from French mêlée. See medley

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

Word Origin and History for melee

melee

1640s, from French mêlée, from Old French meslee "brawl, confused fight; mixture, blend" (12c.), noun use of fem. past participle of mesler "to mix, mingle" (see meddle). See also medley. Borrowed in Middle English as melle but lost and then reborrowed 17c.

melee

or mê·lée

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of melee

Definition for melee (2 of 2)

melee

noun

Origin of melee

Examples from the Web for melee

British Dictionary definitions for melee

melee

mle

noun

Word Origin for melee

Word Origin and History for melee

melee