charivari

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“
The popping of revolvers, the clanging of cow bells, the clash of tin boilers--all that medley of discord which lends volume to the horror known as a charivari--tore to shreds the harmony of the night What's that?"

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Definitions (7)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. noun Regional See shivaree. See Regional Note at shivaree.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (4)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples (50)

  • She turned the switch, breathed another prayer, stepped on the starter, and there was a miracle and the motor began running, sounding as if a charivari was in progress. —  076 - The Flaming Falcons
  • Along with Robert Nerantzoulis, as the Jester, he leads the opening charivari-type number, Enter the Circus. —  The Stage / News Headlines
  • I have even heard talk of getting up a 'charivari' under the windows on the wedding-night. —  The Idiot
  • In the universities of Southern France, the marriage of resident doctors and students was also contemplated, and the statutes of the University of Aix contain a table of charges payable as "charivari" by a rector, a doctor, a licentiate, a bachelor, a student, and a bedel. —  Life in the Medieval University
  • Nevertheless, he did not appear without éclat_, for at the moment he made his appearance, a charivari was given to a neighbour, and the music of marrowbones and cleavers accompanied a song of thirty-stanzas, composed for the occasion by his father. —  Béarn and the Pyrenees A Legendary Tour to the Country of Henri Quatre
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. French, from Old French, perhaps from Late Latin carībaria, headache, from Greek karēbariā : karē, head; see ker-1 in Indo-European roots + barus, heavy; see gwerə-1 in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Also, in U. S., chiravari, chivaree, from French charivari, from Old French chalivari, caribari, calivaly, chalivali = Provencal caravil (Middle Latin carivarium, charavaritum, charavaria, charavallium, chalvaricum, chalvaritum, etc.); cf. German krawall; orig. form uncertain, the word being, like others supposed to be imitative, fancifully varied.
 

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/ʃærɪˈværi/
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