Waterloo

American  

[waw-ter-loo, wot-er-, waw-ter-loo, wot-er-, vah-tuhr-loh] / ˈwɔ tərˌlu, ˈwɒt ər-, ˌwɔ tərˈlu, ˌwɒt ər-, ˈvɑ tərˌloʊ /

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.

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Waterloo British  

/ 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 )

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Waterloo Idioms  

1. see meet one's waterloo.

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Example Sentences

Governments like Canada’s “pushed the idea of immigration to solve problems, and it just didn’t do anything,” said Mikal Skuterud, an economics professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

After the chaos Russia sustained in the 1990s, Mr. Putin, having brought stability, expected to be heralded by the West the way Alexander I was after Waterloo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Now, three sailors aboard the ship have been identified and living descendants contacted by researchers at the University of Waterloo, in Canada.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

Erika Vikman recreated Abba's Waterloo - 1974's Eurovision winner - while Alexander Rybak gave Cliff Richard's Congratulations the hoedown treatment.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

And Ned said, “I live in Waterloo, Iowa.”

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith