melee¹

or mê·lée

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

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.

Origin of melee¹

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

melee²

[mey-ley, mey-ley]

noun

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

Origin of melee²

First recorded in 1910–15; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for melee

Contemporary Examples

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
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
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
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
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

Historical Examples

In the melee Redpath looked full into Allis's eyes at short range.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
I understand there has been a melee, not much; merely a rouette; do get it all out of him.
Vivian Grey
Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli
This was to prevent shooting our own men in the melee, and in the darkness.
Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman
J. H. (James Harvey) Kidd
It is no slight advantage, in a melee of that kind, to be strong in officers.
Saint Bartholomew's Eve
G. A. Henty
In the melee the master was stabbed and the slave escaped into the woods.
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 7, 1922
Various

British Dictionary definitions for melee

melee

mle

noun

a noisy riotous fight or brawl

Word Origin

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

n.

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.css-pdubzd{font-size:17px;vertical-align:super;}1

or mê·lée

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}melee1

melee2

Origin of melee2

Examples from the Web for melee

Contemporary Examples

In fact, Clark fell back first from her blows, losing his cap, tie, and badge in the melee.

It was Orlando vs. Justin in an Ibiza melee with two highly unlikely opposing parties.

They made one last charge for the airport, and when the riot police blocked them again a melee ensued.

The Kurds entered a buffer zone on the Turkish border and in the melee at least four protestor were wounded.

Unconfirmed reports in Turkish Internet media said Erdogan himself had slapped a man in the melee.

Historical Examples

In the melee Redpath looked full into Allis's eyes at short range.

I understand there has been a melee, not much; merely a rouette; do get it all out of him.

This was to prevent shooting our own men in the melee, and in the darkness.

It is no slight advantage, in a melee of that kind, to be strong in officers.

In the melee the master was stabbed and the slave escaped into the woods.

melee

mle

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for melee

n.

melee¹

Origin of melee¹

melee²

Origin of melee²