catastrophe
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2 ENTRIES FOUND:

ca·tas·tro·phe

noun \kə-ˈtas-trə-(ˌ)fē\

Definition of CATASTROPHE

1
: the final event of the dramatic action especially of a tragedy
2
: a momentous tragic event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow or ruin
3
a : a violent and sudden change in a feature of the earth
b : a violent usually destructive natural event (as a supernova)
4
: utter failure : fiasco <the party was a catastrophe>
cat·a·stroph·ic \ˌka-tə-ˈsträ-fik\ adjective
cat·a·stroph·i·cal·ly \-fi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Examples of CATASTROPHE

  1. The oil spill was an environmental catastrophe.
  2. Experts fear a humanitarian catastrophe if food isn't delivered to the refugees soon.
  3. an area on the brink of catastrophe

Origin of CATASTROPHE

Greek katastrophē, from katastrephein to overturn, from kata- + strephein to turn
First Known Use: 1540

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

ca·tas·tro·phe

noun \kə-ˈtas-trə-fē\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of CATASTROPHE

: death (as from an inexplicable cause) before, during, or after an operation

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