Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CA-LAM'I-TY, n. [L. calamitas. Qu. Ar. كَلَمَ, kalama, to wound; Heb. Ch. כךם, kalam, to make ashamed. Under this root the Syriac has calamity. The sense of the verb is to strike, to beat down. But the origin of the word is uncertain.]

Any great misfortune or cause of misery; generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evils, as loss of crops, earthquakes, conflagrations, defeat of armies, and the like. But it is applied also to the misfortunes which bring great distress upon individuals. – Milton. Prior. The deliberations of calamity are rarely wise. – Burke.