Saboteur

/ˌsæbəˈtɜːr/ noun

Definition

A person who deliberately damages, destroys, or disrupts something to hinder an enemy or organization.

Etymology

From French 'saboteur,' derived from 'sabot' (wooden shoe). French workers protesting factory conditions allegedly threw wooden shoes into machinery; the practice became known as sabotage.

Kelly Says

The legend is that angry French workers threw their 'sabots' (wooden shoes) into factory machines, which is why deliberate destruction is called 'sabotage'—though historians debate whether this actually happened.

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