ca·lam·i·ty 
[kuh-lam-i-tee] Pronunciation Key
–noun, plural -ties.
| 1. | a great misfortune or disaster, as a flood or serious injury. |
| 2. | grievous affliction; adversity; misery: the calamity of war. |
[Origin: 1375–1425; late ME calamite < MF < L calamitāt- (s. of calamitās), perh. akin to incolumitās safety]
—Synonyms 1. reverse, blow, catastrophe, cataclysm; mischance, mishap. See disaster.
