different between lethal vs catastrophic

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?li?.??l/
• Rhymes: -i???l

Etymology 1

From Latin l?t?lis (“mortal, deadly”), improperly written l?th?lis, from l?tum (“death”), improperly written as l?thum, as associated with Ancient Greek ???? (l?th?, “forgetfulness”).

Adjective

lethal (comparative more lethal, superlative most lethal)

1. Deadly; mortal; fatal.

Related terms

• lethality
• semilethal

Translations

Noun

lethal (plural lethals)

1. Any weapon that causes death.

   Antonym: non-lethal

2. (genetics) An allele that causes the death of the organism that carries it.

Etymology 2

Abbreviation of “lauric acid ethereal salt”, so called because it occurs in the ethereal salt of lauric acid.

Noun

lethal (uncountable)

1. (chemistry) One of the higher alcohols of the paraffine series obtained from spermaceti as a white crystalline solid.

Translations

Further reading

• lethal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• lethal in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Etymology

From catastrophe +? -ic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kæt??st??f?k/
• Rhymes: -?f?k

Adjective

catastrophic (comparative more catastrophic, superlative most catastrophic)

1. Of or pertaining to a catastrophe.
2. Disastrous; ruinous.
   • 2009: Stuart Heritage, Hecklerspray, Friday the 22^nd of May in 2009 at 1 o’clock p.m., “Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About”

     The reason why Jon & Kate Plus 8 is such a hot topic is because it might all be a sham. It’s been claimed that Jon has a string of mistresses, that Kate had an affair with her bodyguard and that Baby Number Six is actually a shaved Ewok with a catastrophic heroin addiction. Or something.

Synonyms

• catastrophal

Antonyms

• anastrophic

Derived terms

Translations