cul-de-sac

Meanings

1. A blind alley or dead end street.
2. A circular area at the end of a dead end street to allow cars to turn around, designed so children can play on the street, with little or no through-traffic.
3. An impasse.
4. A sacklike cavity, a tube open at one end only.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH-der. Proto-Italic *kūlos Latin cūlus Old French cul Middle French cul French cul Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h₁ Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Old French de Middle French de French de Ancient Greek σᾰ́κκος (sắkkos)bor. Latin saccus Old French sac French sac French cul-de-sacbor. English cul-de-sac Borrowed from French cul-de-sac, from cul (“bottom”) + de (“of”) + sac (“bag, sack”).