different between melee vs ruckus

English

Alternative forms

• mêlée
• melée

Etymology

Borrowed from French mêlée, from Old French meslee, feminine past participle of mesler (“to mix”), derived from Latin misce? (“mix”). Doublet of medley.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?m??le?/, /?m?.li/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?me??le?/, /me??le?/, /?m??le?/, /m??le?/
• Rhymes: -?le?, -?li

Noun

melee (countable and uncountable, plural melees)

1. A battle fought at close range; hand-to-hand combat; brawling.
2. A loud, confused or tumultuous fight, argument or scrap.
3. Any confused, disorganised, disordered or chaotic situation.
4. Lively contention or debate, skirmish.
5. (military, historical) A cavalry exercise in which two groups of riders try to cut paper plumes off the helmets of their opponents, the contest continuing until no member of one group retains his plume.
6. Small cut and polished gemstones sold in lots.

Translations

Verb

melee (third-person singular simple present melees, present participle meleeing, simple past and past participle meleed)

1. (video games, slang) To physically hit in close quarters, as opposed to shooting, blowing up, or other ranged means of damage. Often refers to the usage of a hand-to-hand weapon.

English

Etymology

Recorded since 1890; probably a blend of ruction (“disturbance”) +? rumpus (“disturbance, fracas”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /???k?s/
• Rhymes: -?k?s

Noun

ruckus (plural ruckuses)

1. A noisy disturbance and/or commotion.
2. A row, fight.

Synonyms

• ruction
• rumpus
• uproar

Derived terms

• ruckusy

Translations

See also

• raucous

References

• Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “ruckus”, in Online Etymology Dictionary