Riot
/ˈraɪ.ət/noun
A violent public disturbance or a state of noisy, uncontrolled activity.
Did you know?In Middle English, riot could mean extravagant living or debauchery, and that sense survives in the legal phrase “rioting and rout,” where disorder itself becomes a public force.
Etymological Timeline
c. 12th Century
Old French
riote
“quarreling, dispute, uproar”
12th–13th Century
Anglo-Norman
riote
“noise, quarrel, rowdiness”
13th Century
Middle English
riote
“extravagance, revelry, disorderly conduct”
Late Middle English
English
riot
“wild, noisy, lawless behavior”
Modern English
English
riot
“a violent public disturbance; also, exuberant or unrestrained activity”