Main Entry: ¹ru·in

Pronunciation: \ˈrü-ən, -ˌin; ˈrün\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English ruine, from Anglo-French, from Latin ruina, from ruere to rush headlong, fall, collapse

Date: 12th century

1 a archaic : a falling down : collapse <from age to age…the crash of ruin fitfully resounds — William Wordsworth> b : physical, moral, economic, or social collapse
2 a : the state of being ruined —archaic except in plural <the city lay in ruins> b : the remains of something destroyed —usually used in plural <the ruins of an ancient temple> <the ruins of his life>
3 : a cause of destruction
4 a : the action of destroying, laying waste, or wrecking b : damage, injury
5 : a ruined building, person, or object

— ru·in·ate \ˈrü-ə-ˌnāt, -nət\ adjective

— ruinate \-ˌnāt\ transitive verb