In a state of serious disrepair and decay; falling apart or crumbling from age and neglect.
From Latin 'dilapidatus' (scattered like stones), combining 'di-' (apart) and 'lapidare' (to stone, from 'lapis' meaning stone). Originally it literally meant destroyed like a stoned building.
A dilapidated building was literally 'stoned apart'—when Roman soldiers destroyed a structure, they threw stones at it! The word kept that violent image of destruction even though we now use it for mere age and neglect.
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