Fracas
[FREY-kəs]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Italian, early 18th century
1.
A noisy disturbance or quarrel.
Examples of Fracas in a sentence
"Both teams were disqualified after the fracas on the court."
"The town council meeting turned into a fracas over the new zoning proposal. "
About Fracas
Fracas comes from the French verb "fracasser," which means "to smash violently." But the French got it from the Italians — "fracassare," which means "make an uproar." A fracas doesn't have to be physical, but it's likely noisy and outrageous.
Did you Know?
If you throw yourself into the fray, you'll find yourself in a fracas. Pronounce the first syllable of "fracas" like the word "fray," with a long "a." If you're in the U.S., pronounce the "s" on the end, but drop it if you're using British English.
