cul-de-sac

[ kuhl-duh-sak, -sak, kool-; French kyduh-sak ]

noun

, plural culs-de-sac [kuhlz, -d, uh, -, sak, -sak, koolz, -, k, y, d, uh, -, sak].

1. a street, lane, etc., closed at one end; blind alley; dead-end street.
2. any situation in which further progress is impossible.
3. the hemming in of a military force on all sides except behind.
4. Anatomy. a saclike cavity, tube, or the like, open only at one end, as the cecum.

cul-de-sac

/ ˈkʌldəˌsæk; ˈkʊl- /

noun

1. a road with one end blocked off; dead end
2. an inescapable position
3. any tube-shaped bodily cavity or pouch closed at one end, such as the caecum

Word History and Origins

Origin of cul-de-sac¹

1730–40; < French: literally, bottom of the sack

Word History and Origins

Origin of cul-de-sac¹

C18: from French, literally: bottom of the bag

Example Sentences

It’s the sesquicentennial of Western Australia, and everyone on Tony and Judy’s cul de sac is excited.

From Los Angeles Times

I park on a cul de sac within Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Orange, then wander around for at least 10 minutes, annoyed with myself for always forgetting the exact location where Mami is buried.

From Los Angeles Times

He told us that Nyswanderweg is a very quiet L-shaped cul de sac—so quiet you might think you’re out in suburbia and not in one of Europe’s largest, busiest cities.

From Scientific American

Aberg made his own rules: walk the length of every designated neighborhood and its major streets, though short dead-ends and cul de sacs could be skipped.

From Seattle Times

“One has to ask oneself: Can we do that if we continue to build large single-family homes on cul de sacs that require cars?”

From Seattle Times