Catastrophe
WordNet
noun
(1) An event resulting in great loss and misfortune
"The whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"
"The earthquake was a disaster"
(2) A sudden violent change in the earth's surface
(3) 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"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From from from +
Noun
- Any large and disastrous event of great significance.
- A disaster beyond expectations
- The dramatic event that initiates the resolution of the plot in a tragedy.
- A type of bifurcation, where a system shifts between two stable states.