catastrophe

nouncommon in dialogue

United States//kəˈtæstɹəfi//

Any large and disastrous event of great significance.

noun

1
Any large and disastrous event of great significance.
The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophe.
Last night, after the brief sitting of the House of Lords, and before catastrophe befell the Government in the Commons, I had a long chat with the Premier, in which he discussed the Home Rule question and his relations with it in perfectly frank manner.
Between these high lights accumulated disaster, social catastrophe.
Am I not a man? And is a man not stupid? I'm a man, so I married. Wife, children, house, everything. The full catastrophe.
2
A disaster beyond expectations.
3
The dramatic event that initiates the resolution of the plot; the dénouement.
Pat : he comes like the Cataſtrophe of the old Comedie : my Cue is villanous Melancholly, with a ſighe like Tom o’ Bedlam.
4
A type of bifurcation, where a system shifts between two stable states.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek καταστροφή (katastrophḗ), from καταστρέφω (katastréphō, “to overturn”), from κατά (katá, “down, against”) + στρέφω (stréphō, “to turn”).

Forms

plural: catastrophes

CAT · Centre for Alternative Technology Catalina · A Catalina coupon.catalogue · A systematic list of books, names, pictures, etc.

catastrophe · Any large and disastrous event of great significance.

catastrophic · Of or pertaining to a catastrophe.catch · The act of seizing or capturing.catcher · Someone or something that catches.

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.