Calamities

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Calamity \Ca*lam"i*ty\n.; pl. {Calamities}. [L. calamitas, akin
     to in-columis unharmed: cf. F. calamit['e]]
     1. Any great misfortune or cause of misery; -- generally
        applied to events or disasters which produce extensive
        evil, either to communities or individuals.
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     Note: The word calamity was first derived from calamus when
           the corn could not get out of the stalk. --Bacon.
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                 Strokes of calamity that scathe and scorch the
                 soul.                              --W. Irving.
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     2. A state or time of distress or misfortune; misery.
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              The deliberations of calamity are rarely wise.
                                                    --Burke.
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              Where'er I came I brought calamity.   --Tennyson.
  
     Syn: Disaster; distress; affliction; adversity; misfortune;
          unhappiness; infelicity; mishap; mischance; misery;
          evil; extremity; exigency; downfall.
  
     Usage: {Calamity}, {Disaster}, {Misfortune}, {Mishap},
            {Mischance}. Of these words, calamity is the
            strongest. It supposes a somewhat continuous state,
            produced not usually by the direct agency of man, but
            by natural causes, such as fire, flood, tempest,
            disease, etc, Disaster denotes literally ill-starred,
            and is some unforeseen and distressing event which
            comes suddenly upon us, as if from hostile planet.
            Misfortune is often due to no specific cause; it is
            simply the bad fortune of an individual; a link in the
            chain of events; an evil independent of his own
            conduct, and not to be charged as a fault. Mischance
            and mishap are misfortunes of a trivial nature,
            occurring usually to individuals. "A calamity is
            either public or private, but more frequently the
            former; a disaster is rather particular than private;
            it affects things rather than persons; journey,
            expedition, and military movements are often attended
            with disasters; misfortunes are usually personal; they
            immediately affect the interests of the individual."
            --Crabb.
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