Question of the Day #835

"The dramatic changes that would discombobulate our society and risk our health and economy, just as COVID did, will happen if we don't do anything."

From the last paragraph of this article at Scientific American.

  上記の文で、discombobulateの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "discombobulate" mean?

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Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

【他動】
〈米俗〉〔人を〕困惑［混乱］させる、させる

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to cause to be in a state of confusion: UPSET, DISORIENT

 

語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

1834年、米英語。当時流行った空想的でラテン語風の新造語。

 

Etymology

According to Online Etymology Dictionary,

1834, American English, fanciful mock-Latin coinage of a type popular then.

   

Examples

• The speaker was completely discombobulated by the hecklers.
• You can discombobulate a cat just by rearranging the furniture.
• After our narrow brush with the drippy Miss Goodacre, the house stayed discombobulated for weeks as Harry mourned and moped. - The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
• If it has been an unsettling season for all NFL players, it has been absolutely discombobulating for the Raiders … — Ron Fimrite
• A winding drive through the rural areas, twisting and turning to the point of discombobulation, until, emerging around a final left turn, a clearing presents itself. — Micah Redfield

   

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