Waterloo

[ waw-ter-loo, wot-er-, waw-ter-loo, wot-er-; Flemish vah-tuhr-loh ]

noun

1. a village in central Belgium, south of Brussels: Napoleon decisively defeated here on June 18, 1815.
2. a decisive or crushing defeat:

   The candidate met her Waterloo in the national elections.

3. a city in E Iowa.
4. a city in SE Ontario, in S Canada.

Waterloo

/ ˌwɔːtəˈluː /

noun

1. a small town in central Belgium, in Walloon Brabant province south of Brussels: battle (1815) fought nearby in which British and Prussian forces under the Duke of Wellington and Blücher routed the French under Napoleon. Pop: 29 003 (2004 est)
2. a total or crushing defeat (esp in meet one's Waterloo )

Idioms and Phrases

see meet one's waterloo .

Example Sentences

Simultaneously, the 1980s farm crisis had taken a toll on Waterloo’s other big employer, John Deere, which laid off thousands.

From ProPublica

Waterloo was, in many ways, primed for an outbreak, and the reason lies in its history, which reflects the meatpacking industry’s dramatic transformation over the past half century.

From ProPublica

There was somebody coming from the infected plant out of Columbus Junction into Waterloo, potentially bringing that infection with them.

From ProPublica

The coronavirus crept through Waterloo, Iowa, quietly at first.

From ProPublica

It’s this concept that the Waterloo team’s methodology is based on.

From Singularity Hub 

In one corner is Democrat Bruce Braley, a four-term congressman from the industrial city of Waterloo.

From The Daily Beast

The midseason finale of Mad Men, titled “Waterloo,” opened with Apollo 11 taking off toward the moon.

From The Daily Beast

“Waterloo” closes with a predictable ode to Robert Morse, the 83-year-old actor who played the late Bert Cooper.

From The Daily Beast

Betting everything on a “Waterloo” campaign to smash the Obama presidency was simply reckless.

From The Daily Beast

Following the famous defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon was exiled once more—this time to an island much further away.

From The Daily Beast

But instead of the thanks he had expected he found himself saddled with the blame of the loss of Waterloo.

From Project Gutenberg

It seems, however, that he came in about a quarter-past nine, and sent Barker on a message to Waterloo Station.

From Project Gutenberg

Of course at Waterloo a spirit like our guide's cannot fail to be deeply moved, and to turn to his favorite poet for sympathy.

From Project Gutenberg

Why was not every private man's name written upon the stones in Waterloo Church as well as every officer's?

From Project Gutenberg

The very best and most daring poacher I know lives within five-and-twenty minutes' journey from Waterloo.

From Project Gutenberg