# basket case

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Someone (especially a soldier) who has lost all four limbs.
2. An institution or country in a bad condition or difficult situation (economically, financially or otherwise).
3. One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic, stress or exhaustion; someone considered mentally unstable.

## Etymology
From basket + case, based on rumors during World War I that wounded soldiers were transported in baskets.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/basket-case