mayhem
mayhem Lexical Profile
mayhem Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A state of violent disorder, chaotic disruption, or wild confusion.
"The sudden cancellation of all outbound flights caused complete mayhem at the airport terminal."
In law, the criminal offense of intentionally and maliciously maiming, disfiguring, or disabling a person's body.
"Under traditional common law, a conviction for mayhem required proof that the victim had been permanently deprived of the use of a limb or bodily organ."
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 15th century from Anglo-French 'mahaigne' or 'mahem' (meaning physical maiming or bodily injury), sharing the same Old French root as the English verb 'maim'. Originally a strict legal term for depriving someone of a limb needed for self-defense, its meaning broadened in the 19th and 20th centuries to refer to general chaos and uproar.