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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Disaster \Dis*as"ter\, verb (used with an object)
1. To blast by the influence of a baleful star. [Obs.] --Sir P. Sidney.
2. To bring harm upon; to injure. [R.] --Thomson.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Disaster \Dis*as"ter\, noun [F. d['e]sastre; pref. d['e]s- (L. dis-) + astre star, fr. L. astrum; a word of astrological origin. See {Aster}, {Astral}, {Star}.]
1. An unpropitious or baleful aspect of a planet or star; malevolent influence of a heavenly body; hence, an ill portent. [Obs.]
Disasters in the sun. --Shak.
2. An adverse or unfortunate event, esp. a sudden and extraordinary misfortune; a calamity; a serious mishap.
But noble souls, through dust and heat, Rise from disaster and defeat The stronger. --Longfellow.
Syn: Calamity; misfortune; mishap; mischance; visitation; misadventure; ill luck. See {Calamity}.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
disaster
noun
1: a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune; "lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe for our school system"; "his policies were a disaster" [syn: {catastrophe}]
2: an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; "the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster" [syn: {calamity}, {catastrophe}, {tragedy}, {cataclysm}]
3: an act that has disastrous consequences
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
58 Moby Thesaurus words for "disaster": accident, act of God, adversity, apoplexy, blow, breakdown, breaking up, breakup, calamity, casualty, cataclysm, catastrophe, cave, cave-in, climax, collapse, collision, contretemps, convulsion, crack-up, crash, debacle, diastrophism, distress, fatal accident, fatality, fit, grief, ill hap, misadventure, mischance, misfortune, mishap, nasty blow, overthrow, paroxysm, pileup, quake, reverse, rocks, shipwreck, shock, smash, smashup, spasm, staggering blow, stroke, temblor, tidal wave, total loss, tragedy, trouble, tsunami, upheaval, violent death, washout, wrack, wreck
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