calamity, catastrophe, disaster, tragedy, cataclysm
(noun) an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; “the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity”; “the earthquake was a disaster”
catastrophe, cataclysm
(noun) a sudden violent change in the earth’s surface
catastrophe, disaster
(noun) a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune; “lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe for our school system”; “his policies were a disaster”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
catastrophe (plural catastrophes)
any large and disastrous event of great significance
(insurance) a disaster beyond expectations
(narratology) the dramatic event that initiates the resolution of the plot; the dénouement
(mathematics) a type of bifurcation, where a system shifts between two stable states
Source: Wiktionary
Ca*tas"tro*phe, n. Etym: [L. catastropha, Gr.
1. An event producing a subversion of the order or system of things; a final event, usually of a calamitous or disastrous nature; hence, sudden calamity; great misfortune. The strange catastrophe of affairs now at London. Bp. Buret. The most horrible and portentous catastrophe that nature ever yet saw. Woodward.
2. The final event in a romance or a dramatic piece; a denouement, as a death in a tragedy, or a marriage in a comedy.
3. (Geol.)
Definition: A violent and widely extended change in the surface of the earth, as, an elevation or subsidence of some part of it, effected by internal causes. Whewell.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
18 June 2025
(noun) large South American evergreen tree trifoliate leaves and drupes with nutlike seeds used as food and a source of cooking oil
Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free. Studies from the National Institute of Health (US) have shown that virtually all decaf coffee types contain caffeine. A 236-ml (8-oz) cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a regular cup provided 70-140 mg.
