Dictionary
cat•a•clysm
Pronunciation: (kat'u-kliz"um), [key]—
n.
1. any violent upheaval, esp. one of a social or political nature.
2. Physical Geog.a sudden and violent physical action producing changes in the earth's surface.
3. an extensive flood; deluge.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.