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   catastrophe

   /kəˈtastrəfi/

   noun

   • 1. an event causing great and usually sudden damage or suffering; a disaster: "an environmental catastrophe"
   • ▪ something very unfortunate or unsuccessful: "the tax would be a catastrophe for the industry"
   • 2. the denouement of a drama, especially a classical tragedy.

   Word Origin mid 16th century (in the sense ‘denouement’): from Latin catastropha, from Greek katastrophē ‘overturning, sudden turn’, from kata- ‘down’ + strophē ‘turning’ (from strephein ‘to turn’).

   Scrabble Points: 18

   • C

     3

   • A

     1

   • T

     1

   • A

     1

   • S

     1

   • T

     1

   • R

     1

   • O

     1

   • P

     3

   • H

     4

   • E

     1

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