From the fun and familiar to the strange and obscure, learn something new every day with Merriam-Webster.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 18, 2010 is:
waterloo \waw-ter-LOO\ noun
: a decisive or final defeat or setback
Examples:
The senatorial candidate's misrepresentation of his military service could prove to be his waterloo.
Did you know?
The Battle of Waterloo, which occurred on June 18, 1815, has given its name to the very notion of final defeat. Why? Maybe because it ended one of the most spectacular military careers in history (Napoleon's), as well as 23 years of recurrent conflict between France and the rest of Europe. In addition, it was Napoleon's second "final defeat." He was defeated and exiled in 1814, but he escaped his confinement, returned to France, and was restored to power for three months before meeting defeat at the hands of the forces allied under the Duke of Wellington near the Belgian village of Waterloo. The word "waterloo" first appeared in casual use the following year, 1816.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
