Definitions for catastrophekəˈtæs trə fi

ADVERTISEMENT

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

ca•tas•tro•phe*kəˈtæs trə fi(n.)

  1. a sudden and widespread disaster.

  2. any misfortune or failure; fiasco.

  3. a disastrous end.

  4. the point in a drama following the climax and introducing the conclusion.

    Category: Literature

  5. a sudden, violent disturbance, esp. of a part of the surface of the earth.

    Category: Geology

* Syn: See disaster.

Origin of catastrophe:

1570–80; < Gk katastrophḗ an overturning, n. der. of katastréphein to overturn. See cata -, strophe

cat`a•stroph′i•cal•ly(adv.)

Princeton's WordNet

  1. 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"

  2. 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"

  3. catastrophe, cataclysm(noun)

    a sudden violent change in the earth's surface

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

  1. catastrophe(noun)əˈtæs trə fi

    a terrible disaster

    a nuclear catastrophe

Wiktionary

  1. catastrophe(Noun)

    Any large and disastrous event of great significance.

  2. catastrophe(Noun)

    A disaster beyond expectations

  3. catastrophe(Noun)

    The dramatic event that initiates the resolution of the plot in a tragedy.

  4. catastrophe(Noun)

    A type of bifurcation, where a system shifts between two stable states.

  5. Origin: From καταστροφή, from καταστρέφω, from κατά + στρέφω

Webster Dictionary

  1. Catastrophe(noun)

    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

  2. Catastrophe(noun)

    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. Catastrophe(noun)

    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


Translations for catastrophe

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

catastrophe(noun)

a sudden great disaster

earthquakes and other natural catastrophes; Her brother's death was a catastrophe for the family.

Get even more translations for catastrophe »


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"catastrophe." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2013. Web. 19 Jun 2013. <http://www.definitions.net/definition/catastrophe>.


The Web's Largest Resource for

Definitions & Translations


A Member Of The STANDS4 Network


Nearby & related entries:

Alternative searches for catastrophe: