▪ I. havoc, n.
(ˈhævək)
Forms: 4–5 havok, 5 hauoke, haue ok, 6–7 havocke, 6–9 havock, 6– havoc.
[a. AFr. havok, altered in some way from OF. havot (c 1150 in Du Cange, havo), used in same sense, esp. in phrase crier havot. Prob. of Teutonic origin.]
1. In the phrase cry havoc, orig. to give to an army the order havoc!, as the signal for the seizure of spoil, and so of general spoliation or pillage. In later use (usually after Shakes.) fig., and associated with sense 2.
| [1385 Ord. War Rich. II, in Black Bk. Admiralty (Rolls) I. 455 Item, qe nul soit si hardy de crier havok sur peine davoir la test coupe. 1405 Abp. Scrope in Historians Ch. York (Rolls) II. 296 Idem dominus Henricus..bona regia ubicunque fuerant inventa vastavit, et, clamando havok, fideles homines, tam spirituales quam temporales, quosdam spoliavit.] 1419 Ord. War Hen. V, in Black Bk. Admiralty (Rolls) I. 462 That noman be so hardy to crye havok upon peyn that he that is founde begynner to dye therfore. c 1440 Jacob's Well (E.E.T.S.) 207 And for his euylle dedys his godys be cryed be þe kyng ‘haue ok’. c 1525 in Grose Hist. Eng. Army (1801) I. 194 Likewise be all manner of beasts, when they be brought into the field and cried havoke, then every man to take his part. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. iii. i. 273 Cæsars Spirit..Shall..with a Monarkes voyce, Cry hauocke, and let slip the Dogges of Warre. 1602 ― Ham. v. ii. 375 His quarry cries on hauocke. 1858 Buckle Civiliz. (1869) II. i. 76 That bold and sceptical spirit which cried havoc to the prejudices and superstitions of men. |
2. Devastation, destruction; esp. in phr. to make havoc, play havoc (freq. const. with), in which the earlier sense of spoliation or plunder has gradually passed into that of destructive devastation. Also in weakened sense: confusion and disorder, disarray. The phrases to work havoc, create havoc are also common.
| 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. ccxxxix. 265 They..slowe al alyens and despoilled al hir goodes and made hauoke. 1560 Becon New Catech. Wks. 1844 II. 92 Whole Jewry came to havoc, and finally both destruction and desolation. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 202 Make havock of them one with another. 1609 Bible (Douay) Ecclus. xxxvi. Comm., By discord al things goe to havocke. 1635 Swan Spec. M. iv. §2 (1643) 66 What havock the floud had made. 1745 P. Thomas Jrnl. Anson's Voy. 22 The Scurvy..made a most dreadful Havock among us. 1812 M. E. Bicknell Let. 28 Oct. in J. Constable's Corr. (1964) II. 91 You perfectly well know, what terrible havoc it [sc. meeting often] makes with your time. 1868 Tennyson Lucretius 22 The wicked broth Confused the chemic labour of the blood..Made havock among those tender cells. 1871 Freeman Norm. Conq. IV. xviii. 289 The work of William at this time was simple unmitigated havoc. 1900 J. Morley Cromwell i. 3 The thirst after broad classifications works havoc with truth. 1908 E. J. Banfield Confessions of Beachcomber iv. 129 Terrestrial storms work as much if not greater havoc in the shallow places of the sea as on the land. 1910 G. D. Abraham Mountain Adv. vi. 115 The hot sun, reflected off the snow, played havoc with his complexion. 1934 G. G. Coulton H. W. Fowler 156 He..displayed..anxiety about the havoc made in the projected festivities. 1949 Times Lit. Suppl. 4 Nov. 715/2 History has played havoc with their hopes. 1961 J. E. Mansion Harrap's French-Eng. Dict. 705/2 The storm..played havoc with the crops. 1961 Webster s.v. havoc, Several small children can create havoc in a house. 1964 Times 5 Sept. 9/5 Surely one can make up one's mind as to which [political party] would create less havoc if they came to power. 1965 A. Nicol Truly Married Woman 24, I have created enough havoc in one afternoon as it is. 1966 B. Kimenye Kalasanda Revisited 86 The fine, dust-like substance enveloped him in a cloud which played havoc with the delicate membranes of his eyes and nose. 1969 Times 25 Mar. 16/1 The noise and clatter of high-revving engines can play havoc with a driver's nerves. 1971 B. Patten Irrelevant Song 32 This creature singled out creates Havoc with intelligence. |
▪ II. ˈhavoc, v.
Infl. -ocked, -ocking.
[f. prec. n.]
1. trans. To make havoc of; to devastate; to lay waste. Also absol.
| 1577 Fenton Gold. Epist. 171 A great Prince..entreth into the land of his enemie..to surmount and hauock his enemy. 1648 Milton Tenure Kings (1649) 38 To havock and turn upside-down whole Kingdoms of men. 1667 ― P.L. x. 617 See with what heat these Dogs of Hell advance, To waste and havoc yonder World. 1884 Tennyson Becket i. i, Those baron-brutes That havock'd all the land in Stephen's day. |
2. intr. To make havoc, work devastation.
| 1796 E. Inchbald Nature & Art xli, Remorse..havocked on his firm inflexible mind as it would on a weak and pliant brain. |
Hence ˈhavocking vbl. n.; also ˈhavocker, one who havocs or makes havoc.
| c 1640 J. Smyth Lives Berkeleys (1883) II. 148 This lords vast havocking of his patrimony. 1680 Otway Caius Marius i. i, This Havocker..That..hunts Our senate into holes. 1824 J. Symmons tr. æschylus' Agam. 145 The havocker meets havock in his turn. |