5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Ruin  \Ru"in\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Ruined};p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Ruining}.]  [Cf.  F.  ruiner,  LL  ruinare.  See  {Ruin},  n.] 
  To  bring  to  ruin;  to  cause  to  fall  to  pieces  and  decay;  to 
  make  to  perish;  to  bring  to  destruction;  to  bring  to  poverty 
  or  bankruptcy;  to  impair  seriously;  to  damage  essentially;  to 
  overthrow. 
 
  this  mortal  house  I'll  ruin.  --Shak. 
 
  By  thee  raised,  I  ruin  all  my  foes.  --Milton. 
 
  The  eyes  of  other  people  are  the  eyes  that  ruin  us 
  --Franklin. 
 
  By  the  fireside  there  are  old  men  seated,  Seeling 
  ruined  cities  in  the  ashes.  --Longfellow. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Ruin  \Ru"in\,  n.  [OE.  ruine,  F.  ruine,  fr  L.  ruina,  fr  ruere 
  rutum  to  fall  with  violence,  to  rush  or  tumble  down.] 
  1.  The  act  of  falling  or  tumbling  down  fall.  [Obs.]  ``His 
  ruin  startled  the  other  steeds.''  --Chapman. 
 
  2.  Such  a  change  of  anything  as  destroys  it  or  entirely 
  defeats  its  object,  or  unfits  it  for  use  destruction; 
  overthrow;  as  the  ruin  of  a  ship  or  an  army;  the  ruin  of 
  a  constitution  or  a  government;  the  ruin  of  health  or 
  hopes.  ``Ruin  seize  thee,  ruthless  king!''  --Gray. 
 
  3.  That  which  is  fallen  down  and  become  worthless  from  injury 
  or  decay;  as  his  mind  is  a  ruin;  especially,  in  the 
  plural,  the  remains  of  a  destroyed,  dilapidated,  or 
  desolate  house,  fortress,  city,  or  the  like 
 
  The  Veian  and  the  Gabian  towers  shall  fall,  And  one 
  promiscuous  ruin  cover  all  Nor  after  length  of 
  years,  a  stone  betray  The  place  where  once  the  very 
  ruins  lay.  --Addison. 
 
  The  labor  of  a  day  will  not  build  up  a  virtuous 
  habit  on  the  ruins  of  an  old  and  vicious  character. 
  --Buckminster. 
 
  4.  The  state  of  being  dcayed,  or  of  having  become  ruined  or 
  worthless;  as  to  be  in  ruins;  to  go  to  ruin. 
 
  5.  That  which  promotes  injury,  decay,  or  destruction. 
 
  The  errors  of  young  men  are  the  ruin  of  business. 
  --Bacon. 
 
  Syn:  Destruction;  downfall;  perdition;  fall;  overthrow; 
  subversion;  defeat;  bane;  pest;  mischief. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Ruin  \Ru"in\,  v.  i. 
  To  fall  to  ruins;  to  go  to  ruin;  to  become  decayed  or 
  dilapidated;  to  perish.  [R.] 
 
  Though  he  his  house  of  polished  marble  build,  Yet  shall 
  it  ruin  like  the  moth's  frail  cell.  --Sandys. 
 
  If  we  are  idle,  and  disturb  the  industrious  in  their 
  business,  we  shall  ruin  the  faster.  --Locke. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  ruin 
  n  1:  the  state  of  being  decayed  or  destroyed  [syn:  {devastation}, 
  {desolation}] 
  2:  a  ruined  building;  "they  explored  several  Roman  ruins" 
  3:  the  process  of  becoming  dilapidated  [syn:  {dilapidation}] 
  4:  an  event  that  results  in  destruction  [syn:  {ruination}] 
  5:  destruction  achieved  by  wrecking  something  [syn:  {laying 
  waste},  {ruining},  {ruination},  {wrecking}] 
  v  1:  destroy  completely;  damage  irreparably;  "You  have  ruined  my 
  car  by  pouring  sugar  in  the  tank!";  "The  tears  ruined 
  her  make-up"  [syn:  {destroy}] 
  2:  cause  to  fail:  "This  behavior  will  ruin  your  chances  of 
  winning  the  election" 
  3:  reduce  to  bankruptcy;  "My  daughter's  fancy  wedding  is  going 
  to  break  me!"  [syn:  {bankrupt},  {break}] 
  4:  reduce  to  ruins;  "The  country  lay  ruined  after  the  war" 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  RUIN,  v.  To  destroy.  Specifically,  to  destroy  a  maid's  belief  in  the 
  virtue  of  maids. 
 
 

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