shamble

¹ American  

[sham-buhl] / ˈʃæm bəl /

verb (used without object)

shambled, shambling

1. to walk or go awkwardly; shuffle.

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noun

1. a shambling gait.

shamble ² American  

[sham-buhl] / ˈʃæm bəl /

noun

1. (used with a singular or plural verb) shambles,

   1. a slaughterhouse.

   2. any place of carnage.

   3. any scene of destruction.

      to turn cities into shambles.

   4. any scene, place, or thing in disorder.

      Her desk is a shambles.

2. British Dialect. a butcher's shop or stall.

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shamble British  

/ ˈʃæmbəl /

verb

1. (intr) to walk or move along in an awkward or unsteady way

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noun

1. an awkward or unsteady walk

Other Word Forms

• shambling adjective

Etymology

Origin of shamble¹

1675–85; perhaps short for shamble-legs one that walks wide (i.e., as if straddling), reminiscent of the legs of a shamble ¹ (in earlier sense “butcher's table”)

Origin of shamble¹

before 900; Middle English shamel, Old English sc ( e ) amel stool, table < Late Latin scamellum, Latin scamillum, diminutive of Latin scamnum bench; compare German Schemel

Example Sentences

And Iran’s economy is in shambles in the midst of an ongoing water crisis with no relief in sight.

From Salon

At the same time, Venezuela’s five refinery complexes are “in shambles,” she said.

From MarketWatch

That job would be short-lived after he reported Indonesia’s economy was in shambles and the country’s enraged leadership threw him out.

From Los Angeles Times

The care given to a 45-year-old man with disabilities who died from sepsis after not being given the correct medication for 34 hours has been described as a "shambles" by his mother.

From BBC

This latest shambles against the Springboks might well strengthen the WRU's hand that something has to be done.

From BBC