FreeScrabbleDictionary

havoc

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
13
Words With Friends
14
Letters
5
Pronunciation
/ˈhævək/
See all 2 pronunciations
/ˈhævək/ · /ˈhævɪk/

Definition of havoc

5 senses · 3 parts of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. (uncountable, usually)Widespread devastation and destruction.
    “I [Paul the Apostle] vvas going to Damaſcus vvith Letters from the High Prieſt to make Havock of God's People there, as I had made Havock of them in other places. Theſe bloody Letters vvas not impoſed upon me. I vvent to the High Prieſt and deſired them of him, Acts 9. 1, 2. And yet he [God] ſaved me!”
    “Ye Gods, what Havock does Ambition make / Among your Works!”
    “But when I had come to that part of the city which I judged to have contained the relics I sought I found havoc that had been wrought there even greater than elsewhere.”
See all 5 definitions

noun

  1. (uncountable, usually)Widespread devastation and destruction.
    “I [Paul the Apostle] vvas going to Damaſcus vvith Letters from the High Prieſt to make Havock of God's People there, as I had made Havock of them in other places. Theſe bloody Letters vvas not impoſed upon me. I vvent to the High Prieſt and deſired them of him, Acts 9. 1, 2. And yet he [God] ſaved me!”
    “Ye Gods, what Havock does Ambition make / Among your Works!”
    “But when I had come to that part of the city which I judged to have contained the relics I sought I found havoc that had been wrought there even greater than elsewhere.”
  2. (uncountable, usually)Mayhem.

verb

  1. To pillage.
    “To tear and havoc more than she can eat.”
  2. To cause havoc.

intj

  1. A cry in war as the signal for indiscriminate slaughter.
    “Do not cry havoc, where you should but hunt / With modest warrant.”
    “Cry "havoc", and let slip the dogs of war!”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Middle English havok, havyk, from Old French havok in the phrase crier havok (“cry havoc”) a signal to soldiers to seize plunder, from Old French crier (“cry out, shout”)…

See full etymology

From Middle English havok, havyk, from Old French havok in the phrase crier havok (“cry havoc”) a signal to soldiers to seize plunder, from Old French crier (“cry out, shout”) + havot (“pillaging, looting”), of obscure origin. Probably from a derivative of Old French *haf, hef (“hook”), from Frankish *haf, *habbjā, *happjā (“pruning-hook, scythe”), derived from Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to take up, lift”), related to Old French havee (“handful”), Old French havet (“pruning-hook”), Old High German habba, heppa (“pruning-hook, scythe”), modern German Hippe (“billhook”). If so, then also related to English heave and doublet of hatchet.

Anagrams of havoc

1 play · some not in Scrabble

Words you can make from havoc

11 playable · top: CHAO (9 pts)

Best play chao 9 points

3-letter words

6 words

2-letter words

4 words

Hooks

1 extension · 1 back

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