mayhem
noun
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L227473 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈmeɪ̯ˌhɛm/ / /ˈmeɪ̯ˌhɪ̟m/ / /ˈmeɪəm/
noun
Etymology: Inherited from Middle English mayehem, late form of maym, from Anglo-Norman mahaim (“mutilation”), from Old French meshaing (“bodily harm, loss of limb”), from Proto-Germanic *maidijaną (“to cripple, injure”) (compare Middle High German meidem, meiden (“gelding”), Old Norse meiða (“to injure”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (maidjan, “to alter, falsify”)), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“to change”). More at mad. The original meaning referred to the crime of maiming; the other senses derived from this. Another possible etymology derives the Old French from Provençal maganhar, composed of mal (“evil”) and ganhar (“to obtain, receive”) (compare with Spanish ganar and Italian gavagnare and guadagnare), so literally "to obtain, receive something evil". The sense "chaos" may have arisen by popular misunderstanding of the common journalese expression "rioting and mayhem".
- A state or situation of great confusion, disorder, trouble or destruction; chaos.
“to cause mayhem”
“What if the legendary hero Robin Hood had been born into the mayhem of the 20th century?”
- Infliction of violent injury on a person or thing.
“The fighting dogs created mayhem in the flower beds.”
“This same man,[…], beat himself weary upon me with a raw hide, I not resisting, and then pantingly threatened me with permanent disfiguring mayhem, if ever again I should introduce his name into print, […]”
- The maiming of a person by depriving them of the use of any of their limbs which are necessary for defense or protection.
“to commit mayhem”
“There is a story told of a case where a notorious character was charged with the unusual crime of “mayhem”—biting off another man's finger. The defendant's counsel secured adjournment after adjournment—no one knew why.”
- The crime of damaging things or harming people on purpose.
verb
Etymology: Inherited from Middle English mayehem, late form of maym, from Anglo-Norman mahaim (“mutilation”), from Old French meshaing (“bodily harm, loss of limb”), from Proto-Germanic *maidijaną (“to cripple, injure”) (compare Middle High German meidem, meiden (“gelding”), Old Norse meiða (“to injure”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (maidjan, “to alter, falsify”)), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“to change”). More at mad. The original meaning referred to the crime of maiming; the other senses derived from this. Another possible etymology derives the Old French from Provençal maganhar, composed of mal (“evil”) and ganhar (“to obtain, receive”) (compare with Spanish ganar and Italian gavagnare and guadagnare), so literally "to obtain, receive something evil". The sense "chaos" may have arisen by popular misunderstanding of the common journalese expression "rioting and mayhem".
- To commit mayhem.
“the king shal punish him for mayheming of his subject”