cul-de-sac

noun

ˈkəl-di-ˌsak How to pronounce cul-de-sac (audio)
ˈku̇l-;
ˌkəl-di-ˈsak,
ˌku̇l-
plural cul-de-sacs ˈkəl-di-ˌsaks How to pronounce cul-de-sac (audio)
ˈku̇l-;
ˌkəl-di-ˈsaks,
ˌku̇l-
also culs-de-sac ˈkəl(z)-di-ˌsak How to pronounce cul-de-sac (audio)
ˈku̇l(z)-;
ˌkəl(z)-di-ˈsak,
ˌku̇l(z)-
1
: a blind diverticulum or pouch
2
: a street or passage closed at one end
Our house is located on a quiet cul-de-sac.
3
: blind alley
If your job is a cul-de-sac, you have to quit or accept the fact that your career is over.Seth Godin

Examples of cul-de-sac in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The battle for the next two years of partisan political control will be waged door-to-door, from California’s beachside suburban cul-de-sacs to the tiny farm towns in the state’s fertile Central Valley. Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 In the late 1950s, the accomplished botanist and conservationist became the second owner of a spec house for an unrealized cul-de-sac development of concrete masonry residences. Jessica Ritz, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 An authentic craftsman-style ranch in a cul-de-sac, The Sage by Rodrock Homes is 90 days from completion and qualifies for the basement promotion. The Willows | A Covenant – Rodrock Homes Community, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2024 The abode is positioned on a cul-de-sac and tucked behind a gate, kind of like a modern, monolithic fortress. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2024 Over the years, the setting has changed: from our hilly home in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon to a two-story in Riverside’s La Sierra neighborhood to the Canyon Crest cul-de-sac near UC Riverside where my mom still lives today. Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Police were also trying to determine why the youth, who lives in another part of Oakland, was on the cul-de-sac. Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024 Now the civilian board that oversees the Sheriff’s Department is seeking more details about what happened on the evening of Feb. 16, 2022, in an El Cajon cul-de-sac where members of a regional auto-theft task force unloaded on the suspect. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2024 Some residents in the Presidio-Columbo neighborhood of San Clemente were a bit concerned Friday when part of a cul-de-sac on Avenida Columbo dropped about five feet and sent mud and debris at least 150 feet below. Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cul-de-sac.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, bottom of the bag

First Known Use

1738, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cul-de-sac was in 1738

Dictionary Entries Near cul-de-sac

Cite this Entry

“Cul-de-sac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cul-de-sac. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

1
: a blind diverticulum or pouch
also : the closed end of such a pouch
2

More from Merriam-Webster on cul-de-sac

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