cataclysm
[ kat-uh-kliz-uh m ]
/ ˈkæt əˌklɪz əm /
noun
any violent upheaval, especially one of a social or political nature.
Physical Geography.
a sudden and violent physical action producing changes in the earth's surface.
an extensive flood; deluge.
Origin of cataclysm
1625–35; < Late Latin
cataclysmos (Vulgate) < Greek
kataklysmós flood (akin to
kataklýzein to flood), equivalent to
kata-
cata- +
klysmós a washing
synonym study for cataclysm
1. See
disaster.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cataclysm
cataclysm catechismWords nearby cataclysm
catachresis,
catachronobiology,
cataclasis,
cataclastic,
cataclinal,
cataclysm,
cataclysmic,
catacomb,
catacrotism,
catadicrotism,
catadioptric
Example sentences from the Web for cataclysm
British Dictionary definitions for cataclysm
cataclysm
/ (ˈkætəˌklɪzəm) /
noun
a violent upheaval, esp of a political, military, or social nature
a disastrous flood; deluge
geology another name for catastrophe (def. 4)
Derived forms of cataclysm
cataclysmic or cataclysmal, adjective cataclysmically, adverbWord Origin for cataclysm
C17: via French from Latin, from Greek
kataklusmos deluge, from
katakluzein to flood, from
kluzein to wash