# disaster

Pronunciation: US say "di-ZAS-tur" /dɪˈzæːs.tɚ/; UK say "di-ZAHS-tuh" /dɪˈzɑːs.tə(ɹ)/

## Noun

1. An unexpected large-scale catastrophe, natural or human-made, that causes heavy damage or destruction, loss of life, or sometimes lasting harm to the environment.
   - Simple: A sudden event, like a flood or fire, that causes great harm to people, property, or nature.
   - _The oil spill became one of the worst environmental disasters in the region's history._
   - _Emergency crews struggled to reach survivors in the days following the disaster._
2. An event that comes without warning and brings serious loss, distress, or trouble of any kind.
   - Simple: Something that goes very badly and causes a lot of trouble or sadness.
   - _The product launch was a disaster, costing the company millions._
   - _Her first attempt at baking a wedding cake ended in disaster._
3. A skateboard trick using a 180-degree ollie, landing centered on the board with the front trucks toward the ramp and the back trucks over the lip, then leaning forward to return.
   - Simple: A skateboarding move where the rider jumps, turns halfway, and balances on the middle of the board at the ramp's edge.
   - _The skater pulled off a smooth disaster at the top of the halfpipe._
   - _Landing a disaster takes precise timing as the board balances on the lip._

## Origin

From Middle French 'desastre', from Italian 'disastro', formed from 'dis-' plus 'astro' ('star'). This traces back through Latin 'astrum' and Ancient Greek 'ástron' ('star') to the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂stḗr.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/disaster (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).