Meanings
nounmêlée (plural mêlées)
plural mêlées
- alternativeAlternative spelling of melee.
What could the Draycotts possibly be doing here? And where, in such a mêlée, could the Draycotts possibly be?
1988, Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, William Heinemann Ltd, page 2181 more example
They fought with fighting-sticks, but the duel developed into a mêlée in which Big Paddy laid out three others who came to the usurper’s assistance.
1937, Ion L. Idriess, Over the Range, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, published 1947, page 27
Origin
- Frenchmêlée
- Frenchmêlée
- Englishmêlée
Borrowed from French mêlée.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Spanish mêlée
- mêléemelee
Cite this entry
APA
mêlée. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/m%C3%AAl%C3%A9e
MLA
“mêlée.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/m%C3%AAl%C3%A9e. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mêlée,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/m%C3%AAl%C3%A9e.
Source: mêlée on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.