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cataclysm

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cataclysm
cataclysm /ˈkætəklɪzəm/ noun [countable]
 Date: 1600-1700
 Language: French
 Origin: cataclysme, from Latin, from Greek, from kataklyzein 'to flood', from kata- 'down' + klyzein 'to wash'
literary a violent or sudden event or change, such as a serious flood or earthquake
—cataclysmic /ˌkætəˈklɪzmɪk◂/ adjective