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n. A turbulent ending of a regime or an institution: "The nation had been flirting with forms of götterdämmerung, with extremes of vocabulary and behavior and an appetite for violent resolution" (Lance Morrow). [After Götterdämmerung, an opera by Richard Wagner, from German, twilight of the gods : Götter, genitive pl. of Gott, god (from Middle High German got, from Old High German; see gheu(ə)- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + Dämmerung, twilight (from Middle High German demerunge, from Old High German demerunga, from demar, twilight).] |
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