mayhem

Etymology

From Middle English mayme, mahaime, from Anglo-Norman mahaim (“mutilation”), from Old French meshaing (“bodily harm, loss of limb”), from Proto-Germanic *maidijaną (“to cripple, injure”) (compare Middle High German meidem, meiden (“gelding”), Old Norse meiða (“to injure”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (maidjan, “to alter, falsify”)), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“to change”). More at mad. The original meaning referred to the crime of maiming, the other senses derived from this. Another possible etymology derives the Old French from Provençal maganhar, composed of mal (“evil”) and ganhar (“to obtain, receive”) (compare with Spanish ganar and Italian gavagnare and guadagnare), so literally "to obtain, receive something evil). The sense "chaos" may have arisen by popular misunderstanding of the common journalese expression "rioting and mayhem".

noun

1. A state or situation of great confusion, disorder, trouble or destruction; chaos.
   Available in an instant, it can be firmly grasped and employed to scrape, gouge, rake, and generally wreak mayhem on any pest who accelerates into assaultive status. 1998, Anton Szandor La Vey, Satan Speaks!
   Jack lifted the binoculars to his eyes, and it was difficult not to laugh at the utter mayhem. Faeries ripped plumes from helmets; soldiers found their pistols dangled just out of reach. 2014, Emma Trevayne, Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times
   What if the legendary hero Robin Hood had been born into the mayhem of the 20th century?
   In all the mayhem, some children were separated from their parents.
   She waded into the mayhem, elbowing between taller men to work her way to the front of the crowd.
   The clowns would dart into the crowd and pull another unsuspecting victim into the mayhem of the ring.
2. Infliction of violent injury on a person or thing.
   The fighting dogs created mayhem in the flower beds.
3. (law) The maiming of a person by depriving him of the use of any of his limbs which are necessary for defense or protection.
4. (law) The crime of damaging things or harming people on purpose.

verb

1. (archaic, law) To commit mayhem