Dictionary
ca•lam•i•ty
Pronunciation: (ku-lam'i-tē), [key]—
n.,
—pl. -ties.
1. a great misfortune or disaster, as a flood or serious injury.
2. grievous affliction; adversity; misery:
the calamity of war. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.