more catastrophal
trə noun
1.
a sudden and widespread disaster: the catastrophe of war.
2.
any misfortune, mishap, or failure; fiasco: The play was so poor our whole evening was a catastrophe.
3.
a final event or conclusion, usually an unfortunate one; a disastrous end: the great catastrophe of the Old South at Appomattox.
4.
(in a drama) the point at which the circumstances overcome the central motive, introducing the close or conclusion; dénouement. Compare catastasis, epitasis, protasis.
5.
Geology. a sudden, violent disturbance, especially of a part of the surface of the earth; cataclysm.
6.
Also called catastrophe function. Mathematics. any of the mathematical functions that describe the discontinuities that are treated in catastrophe theory.
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More catastrophal
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To more catastrophal
Collins
World English Dictionary
catastrophe (kəˈtæstrəfɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a sudden, extensive, or notable disaster or misfortune |
| 2. | the denouement of a play, esp a classical tragedy |
| 3. | a final decisive event, usually causing a disastrous end |
| 4. | Also called: cataclysm any sudden and violent change in the earth's surface caused by flooding, earthquake, or some other rapid process |
| [C16: from Greek katastrophē, from katastrephein to overturn, from strephein to turn] | |
| catastrophic | |
| —adj | |
| cata'strophically | |
| —adv | |
| catastrophe (kəˈtæstrəfɪ) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a sudden, extensive, or notable disaster or misfortune |
| 2. | the denouement of a play, esp a classical tragedy |
| 3. | a final decisive event, usually causing a disastrous end |
| 4. | Also called: cataclysm any sudden and violent change in the earth's surface caused by flooding, earthquake, or some other rapid process |
| [C16: from Greek katastrophē, from katastrephein to overturn, from strephein to turn] | |
| catastrophic | |
| —adj | |
| cata'strophically | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
catastrophe
1540, "reversal of what is expected" (especially a fatal turning point in a drama), from Gk. katastrephein "to overturn," from kata "down" + strephein "turn" (see strophe). Extension to "sudden disaster" is first recorded 1748.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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