Meanings
nounrack and ruin (uncountable)
- idiomaticproscribeduncountableComplete destruction.
In the mean season the College shall goe to rack and ruin.
1599, Thomas Fowler, The history of Corpus Christi College
Origin
1599, variant of wrack and ruin.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
rack and ruin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rack%20and%20ruin
MLA
“rack and ruin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rack%20and%20ruin. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rack and ruin,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rack%20and%20ruin.
Source: rack and ruin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.