catastrophe: Meaning and Definition of

ca•tas•tro•phe

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. Cf. catastasis, epitasis, protasis.
5. a sudden, violent disturbance, esp. of a part of the surface of the earth; cataclysm.
6. Also calledany of the mathematical functions that describe the discontinuities that are treated in catastrophe theory.