Mayhem
/ˈmeɪ.hɛm/noun
Severe or violent disorder; the crime of maiming someone so they cannot defend themselves.
Did you know?In medieval English law, mayhem was a legal term for bodily injury that disabled a person’s ability to defend themselves, not just random destruction.
Etymological Timeline
Old French
OF
mahaigne
“injury, wound, bodily harm”
Anglo-Norman
AN
mayhem
“bodily injury or maiming”
Middle English
English
mayhem
“the act of maiming or disabling a person”
Modern English
English
mayhem
“violent disorder or chaos”