cataclysm
UK: ˈkætəklɪzəm | US: ˈkætəˌklɪzəm
n. a sudden and violent event causing great destruction or upheaval
n. (Geology) a large-scale and destructive flood or deluge
n. (figurative) a momentous upheaval or transformation
cataclysm = cata<down, against> + clysm<flood, wash>
- cata (from Greek kata-): Prefix meaning "down," "against," or "thoroughly."
- clysm (from Greek klusmos, related to klyzein "to wash"): Root meaning "flood" or "deluge."
Etymology Origin:
The word cataclysm originates from Greek kataklysmos, combining kata- (intensifying "down" or "thoroughly") and klyzein ("to wash"). It originally described biblical or geological floods (e.g., Noah’s Flood) but evolved metaphorically to signify any devastating upheaval, reflecting the idea of a "washing away" of the old order.
The earthquake triggered a cataclysm that reshaped the coastline.
Scholars debate whether the Bronze Age collapse was caused by a climatic cataclysm.
The Industrial Revolution was a cultural cataclysm for agrarian societies.
His resignation sent a cataclysm through the political establishment.
Sci-fi novels often imagine cataclysms like asteroid impacts or nuclear wars.