catastrophe

English

/kəˈtæstɹəfi/

noun
Definitions
  • any large and disastrous event of great significance
  • (insurance) a disaster beyond expectations
  • (narratology) the dramatic event that initiates the resolution of the plot; the dénouement
  • (mathematics) a type of bifurcation, where a system shifts between two stable states

Etymology

Derived from Ancient Greek καταστροφή (overturning).

Origin

Ancient Greek

καταστροφή

Gloss

overturning

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms