Bedlamic

/bɛdˈlæmɪk/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or characteristic of Bedlam, the famous historical asylum in London known for chaos and disorder.

Etymology

From Bedlam (a contraction of 'Bethlehem Hospital') + the suffix -ic. Bedlam became synonymous with madness and confusion in the 17th-18th centuries, and the adjective form emerged to describe anything chaotic or mad.

Kelly Says

Bedlam Hospital became so notorious for its terrible conditions and wild patients that it actually inspired the modern word 'bedlam' meaning complete chaos—people would even pay admission to watch the patients as entertainment in the 1700s!

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