mayhem

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: may=hem

CIDE DICTIONARY

mayhem, n. [The same as maim. See Maim.].

•  The maiming of a person by depriving him of the use of any of his members which are necessary for defense or protection. See Maim.  [1913 Webster]
•  Violent disorder, especially such as causes serious harm to persons or damage to property.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

mayhem, n.
1 violent or damaging action.
2 hist. the crime of maiming a person so as to render him or her partly or wholly defenceless.

Etymology

AF mahem, OF mayhem (as MAIM)

THESAURUS

mayhem

bankruptcy, breakage, breakdown, chaos, collapse, commotion, confusion, crack-up, cripple, crippling, damage, destruction, detriment, devastation, dilapidation, disablement, dismember, disorder, disrepair, encroachment, fracas, harm, havoc, hobbling, hurt, hurting, impairment, incapacitation, infringement, injury, inroad, loss, maiming, mischief, mutilate, mutilation, ruination, ruinousness, sabotage, scathe, sickening, spoiling, violence, weakening