Mayhem
(noun)
- Violent or damaging disorder; chaos.
- Physical injury to a person that causes permanent disfigurement or loss of function of a member.
- The crime of maliciously causing such an injury.
Origin:
From middle english mayhaym, from old english mæġþǣm ("hand injury, physical injury"), from mæġþ ("hand") + hæm ("har.m")
Examples:
- The city was thrown into mayhem after the riots.
- The football match ended in a mayhem of flying bottles and broken seats.
- He was charged with mayhem for biting off his opponent's ear.
- The crowd was in a state of mayhem as the concert ended.
- The accident caused mayhem on the highway, causing a long traffic jam.