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

disaster \disas"ter\, v. t.
   1. to blast by the influence of a baleful star. obs. --sir
      p. sidney.
      1913 webster

   2. to bring harm upon; to injure. r. --thomson.
      1913 webster

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

disaster \disas"ter\, n. f. d'esastre; pref. d'es- 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.
      1913 webster

            disasters in the sun.                 --shak.
      1913 webster

   2. an adverse or unfortunate event, esp. a sudden and
      extraordinary misfortune; a calamity; a serious mishap.
      1913 webster

            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.
        1913 webster
see also:
aster astral star calamity 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

disaster
     n 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
see also:
catastrophe calamity tragedy cataclysm 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

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

Disaster >> D Words
Disaster, definition of term: Disaster
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