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English Dictionary - With Multi-Lingual Search Your Query of 'basket case' Resulted in 1 Matches Displaying Items 1 through 1 Definitions basket case noun  (idiom) One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic or stress (slang, potentially offensive) She was a complete the morning of her wedding. This country is a financial , a country so broke that it should be a perfect warning to lenders. Some countries are breadbaskets, others basket cases. Translations:  Dutch: zenuwpees (nerves); (fig.) hopeloos geval (.) (trans-mid) (trans-bottom) Etymology: The term originated from WWI British English, indicating a soldier missing both his arms and legs, who needed to be literally carried around in a litter or "basket." Today it indicates a state of helplessness similar to the metaphoric removal of the appendages.        Find:   Words Starting With:   Words Ending With:   Words Containing:   Words That Match:    Translate Into:    Dutch   French   German    Italian   Spanish Browse the Dictionary A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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