ruction

English

WOTD – 26 April 2009

Etymology

1825, of unknown origin, possibly from eruption or insurrection.[1] Possibly related to the Irish insurrection of 1798.[2]

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈɹʌk.ʃən/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌkʃən

Noun

ruction (plural ructions)

  1. A noisy quarrel or fight.
    • 1907, E.M. Forster, The Longest Journey, Part I, XII [Uniform ed., p. 131]:
      “If you do want to go home, here’s your whip. Don’t fall off. Say to her you wanted it, or there might be ructions.”
    • 1947, Christopher Sheridan, Bread and circuses, page 52:
      She could see there were going to be ructions. Sure enough there'd be a scene between them, when Sebastian found what Tilly had been up to.
    • 2002, Ruth Bereson, The Operatic State: Cultural Policy and the Opera House, page 148:
      Although she acknowledged that the development of an opera house had caused considerable ructions in Australia, she nevertheless implied that its construction was a sort of coming-of-age for the rough antipodeans
    • 2013, Alan S. Blinder, After the Music Stopped: The Financial Crisis, the Response, ..., page 381:
      While the U.S. government had a huge fiscal deficit, similar to Greece's, the financial ructions emanating from Athens sent nervous money flocking to the United States, not away.
    • 2014, Murray C. Morison, Time Sphere:
      Dad drove and Mum commented on Dad's driving; not too much, but just enough to occasionally lead to ructions.

Synonyms

Translations

References

  1. Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “ruction”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
  2. Webster's New International Dictionary. Unabridged. (1954). sub ruction."

Anagrams

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