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imbroglio

 - 3 dictionary results

im⋅bro⋅glio

  [im-brohl-yoh]
Use imbroglio in a Sentence
–noun, plural -glios.
1. a misunderstanding, disagreement, etc., of a complicated or bitter nature, as between persons or nations.
2. an intricate and perplexing state of affairs; a complicated or difficult situation.
3. a confused heap.
Also, embroglio.

Origin:
1740–50; < It, deriv. of imbrogliare to embroil
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To imbroglio
im·bro·glio   (ĭm-brōl'yō)   
n.   pl. im·bro·glios

    1. A difficult or intricate situation; an entanglement.

    2. A confused or complicated disagreement.

  2. A confused heap; a tangle.


[Italian, from Old Italian, from imbrogliare, to tangle, confuse : in-, in (from Latin; see in-2) + brogliare, to mix, stir (probably from Old French brooiller, brouiller; see broil2).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

imbroglio 
1750, from It. imbroglio, from imbrogliare "confuse, tangle," from in- "in" + brogliare "embroil," probably from M.Fr. brouiller "confuse" (see broil (2)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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