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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

dis·as·ter

Audio Help [di-zas-ter, -zah-ster] Pronunciation Key

–noun

1.	a calamitous event, esp. one occurring suddenly and causing great loss of life, damage, or hardship, as a flood, airplane crash, or business failure.

2.	Obsolete. an unfavorable aspect of a star or planet.

[Origin: 1585–95; < MF desastre < It disastro, equiv. to dis- dis-¹ + astro star < L astrum < Gk ástron

]

—Synonyms 1. mischance, misfortune, misadventure, mishap, accident, blow, reverse, adversity, affliction. Disaster, calamity, catastrophe, cataclysm refer to adverse happenings often occurring suddenly and unexpectedly. A disaster may be caused by carelessness, negligence, bad judgment, or the like, or by natural forces, as a hurricane or flood: a railroad disaster. Calamity suggests great affliction, either personal or general; the emphasis is on the grief or sorrow caused: the calamity of losing a child. Catastrophe refers esp. to the tragic outcome of a personal or public situation; the emphasis is on the destruction or irreplaceable loss: the catastrophe of a defeat in battle. Cataclysm, physically an earth-shaking change, refers to a personal or public upheaval of unparalleled violence: a cataclysm that turned his life in a new direction.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

dis·as·ter Audio Help (dĭ-zās'tər, -sās'-) Pronunciation Key
n.

1. An occurrence causing widespread destruction and distress; a catastrophe.
2. A grave misfortune.
Informal A total failure: The dinner party was a disaster.
Obsolete An evil influence of a star or planet.

[French désastre, from Italian disastro : dis-, pejorative pref. (from Latin dis-; see dis-) + astro, star (from Latin astrum, from Greek astron; see ster-³ in Indo-European roots).]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
disaster

1580, from M.Fr. desastre (1564), from It. disastro "ill-starred," from dis- "away, without" + astro "star, planet," from L. astrum, from Gk. astron. The sense is astrological, of a calamity blamed on an unfavorable position of a planet.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

disaster
noun
1.	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" [syn: catastrophe]
2.	an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; "the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster" [syn: calamity]
3.	an act that has disastrous consequences

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
disaster [diˈzaːstə] noun

a terrible event, especially one that causes great damage, loss etc
Example: The earthquake was the greatest disaster the country had ever experienced.

Arabic:	كارِثَه، مُصيبَه
Chinese (Simplified):	灾难
Chinese (Traditional):	災難
Czech:	pohroma, katastrofa
Danish:	katastrofe; ulykke
Dutch:	ramp
Estonian:	katastroof
Finnish:	katastrofi, tuho
French:	désastre
German:	die Katastrophe
Greek:	καταστροφή, συμφορά
Hungarian:	katasztrófa
Icelandic:	stórslys; náttúruhamfarir
Indonesian:	bencana
Italian:	disastro

Japanese:	災害
Korean:	천재, 재해, 참사
Latvian:	posts; nelaime
Lithuanian:	(didžiulė) nelaimė, katastrofa
Norwegian:	katastrofe, stor ulykke
Polish:	nieszczęście
Portuguese (Brazil):	desastre
Portuguese (Portugal):	desastre
Romanian:	dezastru
Russian:	бедствие
Slovak:	katastrofa
Slovenian:	velika nesreča
Spanish:	desastre
Swedish:	svår olycka, katastrof
Turkish:	felâket, facia

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Disaster

Ca*lam"i*ty\n.; pl. Calamities. [L. calamitas, akin to in-columis unharmed: cf. F. calamit['e]]

1. Any great misfortune or cause of misery; -- generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evil, either to communities or individuals.

Note: The word calamity was first derived from calamus when the corn could not get out of the stalk. --Bacon.

Strokes of calamity that scathe and scorch the soul. --W. Irving.

2. A state or time of distress or misfortune; misery.

The deliberations of calamity are rarely wise. --Burke.

Where'er I came I brought calamity. --Tennyson.

Syn: Disaster; distress; affliction; adversity; misfortune; unhappiness; infelicity; mishap; mischance; misery; evil; extremity; exigency; downfall.

Usage: Calamity, Disaster, Misfortune, Mishap, Mischance. Of these words, calamity is the strongest. It supposes a somewhat continuous state, produced not usually by the direct agency of man, but by natural causes, such as fire, flood, tempest, disease, etc, Disaster denotes literally ill-starred, and is some unforeseen and distressing event which comes suddenly upon us, as if from hostile planet. Misfortune is often due to no specific cause; it is simply the bad fortune of an individual; a link in the chain of events; an evil independent of his own conduct, and not to be charged as a fault. Mischance and mishap are misfortunes of a trivial nature, occurring usually to individuals. "A calamity is either public or private, but more frequently the former; a disaster is rather particular than private; it affects things rather than persons; journey, expedition, and military movements are often attended with disasters; misfortunes are usually personal; they immediately affect the interests of the individual." --Crabb.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Disaster

Dis*as"ter\, n. [F. d['e]sastre; pref. d['e]s- (L. dis-) + astre star, fr. L. astrum; a word of astrological origin. See Aster, Astral, Star.]

1. An unpropitious or baleful aspect of a planet or star; malevolent influence of a heavenly body; hence, an ill portent. [Obs.]

Disasters in the sun. --Shak.

2. An adverse or unfortunate event, esp. a sudden and extraordinary misfortune; a calamity; a serious mishap.

But noble souls, through dust and heat, Rise from disaster and defeat The stronger. --Longfellow.

Syn: Calamity; misfortune; mishap; mischance; visitation; misadventure; ill luck. See Calamity.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Disaster

Dis*as"ter\, v. t. 1. To blast by the influence of a baleful star. [Obs.] --Sir P. Sidney.

2. To bring harm upon; to injure. [R.] --Thomson.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Disaster

Dis*as"trous\, a. [Cf. F. d['e]sastreux. See Disaster.]

1. Full of unpropitious stellar influences; unpropitious; ill-boding. [Obs.]

The moon In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds. --Milton.

2. Attended with suffering or disaster; very unfortunate; calamitous; ill-fated; as, a disastrous day; a disastrous termination of an undertaking.

Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances. --Shak. -- Dis*as"trous*ly, adv. -- Dis*as"trous*ness, n.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Disaster

Star\ (st[aum]r), n. [OE. sterre, AS. steorra; akin to OFries. stera, OS. sterro, D. ster, OHG. sterno, sterro, G. stern, Icel. stjarna, Sw. stjerna, Dan. stierne, Goth. sta['i]rn[=o], Armor. & Corn. steren, L. stella, Gr. 'asth`r, 'a`stron, Skr. star; perhaps from a root meaning, to scatter, Skr. st[.r], L. sternere (cf. Stratum), and originally applied to the stars as being strewn over the sky, or as being scatterers or spreaders of light. [root]296. Cf. Aster, Asteroid, Constellation, Disaster, Stellar.]

1. One of the innumerable luminous bodies seen in the heavens; any heavenly body other than the sun, moon, comets, and nebul[ae].

His eyen twinkled in his head aright, As do the stars in the frosty night. --Chaucer.

Note: The stars are distinguished as planets, and fixed stars. See Planet, Fixed stars under Fixed, and Magnitude of a star under Magnitude.

2. The polestar; the north star. --Shak.

3. (Astrol.) A planet supposed to influence one's destiny; (usually pl.) a configuration of the planets, supposed to influence fortune.

O malignant and ill-brooding stars. --Shak.

Blesses his stars, and thinks it luxury. --Addison.

4. That which resembles the figure of a star, as an ornament worn on the breast to indicate rank or honor.

On whom . . . Lavish Honor showered all her stars. --Tennyson.

5. Specifically, a radiated mark in writing or printing; an asterisk [thus, *]; -- used as a reference to a note, or to fill a blank where something is omitted, etc.

6. (Pyrotechny) A composition of combustible matter used in the heading of rockets, in mines, etc., which, exploding in the air, presents a starlike appearance.

7. A person of brilliant and attractive qualities, especially on public occasions, as a distinguished orator, a leading theatrical performer, etc.

Note: Star is used in the formation of compound words generally of obvious signification: as, star-aspiring, star-bespangled, star-bestudded, star-blasting, star-bright, star-crowned, star-directed, star-eyed, star-headed, star-paved, star-roofed; star-sprinkled, star-wreathed.

Blazing star, Double star, Multiple star, Shooting star, etc. See under Blazing, Double, etc.

Nebulous star (Astron.), a small well-defined circular nebula, having a bright nucleus at its center like a star.

Star anise (Bot.), any plant of the genus Illicium; -- so called from its star-shaped capsules.

Star apple (Bot.), a tropical American tree (Chrysophyllum Cainito), having a milky juice and oblong leaves with a silky-golden pubescence beneath. It bears an applelike fruit, the carpels of which present a starlike figure when cut across. The name is extended to the whole genus of about sixty species, and the natural order (Sapotace[ae]) to which it belongs is called the Star-apple family.

Star conner, one who cons, or studies, the stars; an astronomer or an astrologer. --Gascoigne.

Star coral (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of stony corals belonging to Astr[ae]a, Orbicella, and allied genera, in which the calicles are round or polygonal and contain conspicuous radiating septa.

Star cucumber. (Bot.) See under Cucumber.

Star flower. (Bot.) (a) A plant of the genus Ornithogalum; star-of-Bethlehem. (b) See Starwort (b) . (c) An American plant of the genus Trientalis (Trientalis Americana). --Gray.

Star fort (Fort.), a fort surrounded on the exterior with projecting angles; -- whence the name.

Star gauge (Ordnance), a long rod, with adjustable points projecting radially at its end, for measuring the size of different parts of the bore of a gun.

Star grass. (Bot.) (a) A small grasslike plant (Hypoxis erecta) having star-shaped yellow flowers. (b) The colicroot. See Colicroot.

Star hyacinth (Bot.), a bulbous plant of the genus Scilla (S. autumnalis); -- called also star-headed hyacinth.

Star jelly (Bot.), any one of several gelatinous plants (Nostoc commune, N. edule, etc.). See Nostoc.

Star lizard. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Stellion.

Star-of-Bethlehem (Bot.), a bulbous liliaceous plant (Ornithogalum umbellatum) having a small white starlike flower.

Star-of-the-earth (Bot.), a plant of the genus Plantago (P. coronopus), growing upon the seashore.

Star polygon (Geom.), a polygon whose sides cut each other so as to form a star-shaped figure.

Stars and Stripes, a popular name for the flag of the United States, which consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, alternately red and white, and a union having, in a blue field, white stars to represent the several States, one for each.

With the old flag, the true American flag, the Eagle, and the Stars and Stripes, waving over the chamber in which we sit. --D. Webster.

Star showers. See Shooting star, under Shooting.

Star thistle (Bot.), an annual composite plant (Centaurea solstitialis) having the involucre armed with radiating spines.

Star wheel (Mach.), a star-shaped disk, used as a kind of ratchet wheel, in repeating watches and the feed motions of some machines.

Star worm (Zo["o]l.), a gephyrean.

Temporary star (Astron.), a star which appears suddenly, shines for a period, and then nearly or quite disappears. These stars are supposed by some astronometers to be variable stars of long and undetermined periods.

Variable star (Astron.), a star whose brilliancy varies periodically, generally with regularity, but sometimes irregularly; -- called periodical star when its changes occur at fixed periods.

Water star grass (Bot.), an aquatic plant (Schollera graminea) with small yellow starlike blossoms.

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