mayhem

[mey-hem, mey-uh m] /ˈmeɪ hɛm, ˈmeɪ əm/
noun
1.
Law. the crime of willfully inflicting a bodily injury on another so as to make the victim less capable of self-defense or, under modern statutes, so as to cripple or mutilate the victim.
2.
random or deliberate violence or damage.
3.
a state of rowdy disorder:
Antagonisms between the various factions at the meeting finally boiled over, and mayhem ensued.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English maheym, maim < Anglo-French mahe(i)m, mahaim < Germanic; akin to Middle High German meidem gelding, Old Norse meitha to injure. See maim
Can be confused
maim, mayhem (see synonym study at maim)
Examples from the web for mayhem
  • We should be putting down the toys, and getting to work at stopping the mayhem and chaos in our society and the world.
  • mayhem is always in the mix in the morning news, but today it's downright dominating.
  • Remember that the current market mayhem may mean you will be buying low.
  • Even after the mayhem began, the authorities' response was slow.
  • With storm season in full fury last summer, explore the historic mayhem wrought by hurricanes.
  • Check out all the desert mayhem in the gallery above.
  • With storm season in full fury, explore the historic mayhem wrought by hurricanes.
  • The sober language contrasted sharply with the mayhem it provoked.
  • On the other hand the potential for more mayhem when everyone is armed boggles the mind.
  • But the authorities appear at a loss to explain the mayhem.
British Dictionary definitions for mayhem

mayhem

/ˈmeɪhɛm/
noun
1.
(law) the wilful and unlawful infliction of injury upon a person, esp (formerly) the injuring or removing of a limb rendering him less capable of defending himself against attack
2.
any violent destruction or confusion
Word Origin
C15: from Anglo-French mahem injury, from Germanic; related to Icelandic meitha to hurt. See maim
Word Origin and History for mayhem
n.

late 15c., from Anglo-French maihem (13c.), from Old French mahaigne "injury, wrong, a hurt, harm, damage;" related to mahaignier "to injure, wound, mutilate, cripple" (see maim). Originally, in law, the crime of maiming a person "to make him less able to defend himself or annoy his adversary" [OED].