- Today's Word
Calamity
[kuh-LAM-i-tee]
Definition
- (noun) A great misfortune or catastrophe; an event that brings terrible loss, distress, or misery. As a noun, it refers to any disastrous event that causes extensive damage or hardship, whether personal or widespread.
Example
The great fire of 1871 was a calamity that left much of Chicago in ruins, but ultimately led to the city’s remarkable architectural rebirth.
Fun Fact
The word “calamity” derives from the Latin “calamitas,” which originally referred to damage to crops, possibly stemming from an ancient farming term meaning “destruction of stalks.” Medieval Latin scholars connected it to “calamus” meaning “reed” or “stalk,” though modern etymologists debate this connection. During the Middle Ages, the word evolved beyond agricultural usage to describe any disastrous event. The term gained particular prominence in the American Old West with the nickname of Martha Jane Cannary, better known as “Calamity Jane,” a famous frontierswoman who claimed she got her nickname because she warned men that to offend her was to court calamity.
(noun) A proud, haughty manner or attitude that communicates superiority through bearing and demeanor rather than words.
The senior partner’s hauteur was so complete it had become structural — the slight tilt of the head, the measured pause before responding, the way she made agreement feel like a concession.