embarras
nounUK /ɒmbəˈɹɑː/
Etymology From French embarras.
1
Archaic Embarrassment; confusion, uncertainty.
- I […] envy & sympathise—being in all sorts of embarrass now, myself, over the finish of many things.1906, Henry James, letter, 17 November
2
Archaic An embarrassment; an obstacle or hindrance.
- [O]ne day in his way to the opera, his chariot was stopped by an embarras in the street, occasioned by two peasants, who having driven their carts against each other, quarrelled, and went to loggerheads on the spot.1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC:
3
Archaic Embarrassment; intense social awkwardness.
4
Canada, US, Archaic, Historical A clump of driftwood obstructing a waterway.