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 aarchaic : a falling down : collapse <from age to age…the crash of ruin fitfully resounds — William Wordsworth> b: physical, moral, economic, or social collapse2 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 destruction4 a: the action of destroying, laying waste, or wrecking b: damage, injury5: a ruined building, person, or object

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

— ruinate \-ˌnāt\ transitive verb