noun
nuthouse
NUHT-hows
noun
1
Informal and offensive: a psychiatric hospital, or figuratively, any chaotic place.
"The office felt like a nuthouse during the final week before launch."
How to Use Nuthouse
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA dated, informal term for a mental hospital, often used loosely to describe a chaotic place.
When to use it
Considered offensive when referring to real psychiatric facilities; used more casually to mean "a chaotic place".
Word Forms
nuthouses plural
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The office felt like a _____ during the final week before launch.
Etymology
A compound of nut (slang for a crazy person) and house.