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Casualty
Definitions
- 1 Something that happens by chance, especially an unfortunate event; an accident, a disaster. countable, uncountable
"1756, Samuel Johnson, “The Life of Sir Thomas Browne” in Thomas Browne, Christian Morals, 2nd edition, London: J. Payne, p. xx, The course of his education was like that of others, such as put him little in the way of extraordinary casualties."
- 2 a decrease of military personnel or equipment wordnet
- 3 A person suffering from injuries or who has been killed due to an accident or through an act of violence. countable, uncountable
- 4 an accident that causes someone to die wordnet
- 5 Specifically, a person who has been killed (not only injured) due to an accident or through an act of violence; a fatality. countable, proscribed, uncountable
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- 6 someone injured or killed in an accident wordnet
- 7 A person in military service who becomes unavailable for duty, for any reason (notably death, injury, illness, capture, or desertion). countable, uncountable
- 8 someone injured or killed or captured or missing in a military engagement wordnet
- 9 Clipping of casualty department: the accident and emergency department of a hospital providing immediate treatment. British, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountable
- 10 An incidental charge or payment. countable, uncountable
- 11 Someone or something adversely affected by a decision, event or situation. countable, uncountable
"Among recent casualties is the S.B.B.'s branch from Nyon to Divonne-les-Bains, just across the French frontier, closed to all traffic at the commencement of the winter service."
- 12 Chance nature; randomness. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"The non-necessary [causes] follow; of which, saith Fuchsius, no art can be made, by reason of their uncertainty, casualty, and multitude […]"
Etymology
From casual, from Middle French casuel, from Medieval Latin casualitas and Late Latin cāsuālis (“happening by chance”), from Latin cāsus (“event”) (English case), from cadere (“to fall”). Originally meaning “a chance event” (compare casual, as in “casual encounter”), it developed a negative meaning as “an unfortunate event”, especially the loss of a person.
See also for "casualty"
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