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A
A violent upheaval that causes great destruction or brings about fundamental change — a disaster on a catastrophic, transformative scale.
— OED
B
From the Greek kataklysmos, meaning a flood or deluge — originally used specifically for the biblical flood before extending to any devastating event.
— Greek etymology
C
In geology, a cataclysm refers to a sudden, violent geological event such as a volcanic eruption, earthquake, or meteor impact with widespread consequences.
— Geology reference
D
Georges Cuvier used the concept of cataclysms in his theory of catastrophism to explain gaps in the fossil record through periodic destructions and repopulations.
— Cuvier, Discourse on the Revolutions of the Globe
E
The word was introduced to English by the theologian Thomas Burnet in his 1684 work Telluris Theoria Sacra, where he described Noah's flood as the first great cataclysm of recorded history.
— Burnet, 1684