Tragedy is defined as something very bad that happens.
(noun)An example of tragedy is when a child dies in a fire.
See tragedy in Webster's New World College Dictionary
noun pl. tragedies
Origin: ME tragedie < MFr < L tragoedia < Gr tragōidia, tragedy, lit., the song of the goat < tragos, goat ( < IE *treg-, to gnaw < base *ter-, to rub, grind > throw) + ōidē, song (see ode): so named ? because of the goatskin dress of the performers, representing satyrs
See tragedy in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun pl. trag·e·dies
Origin:
Origin: Middle English tragedie
Origin: , from Old French
Origin: , from Latin tragoedia
Origin: , from Greek tragōidiā
Origin: : tragos, goat
Origin: + aoidē, ōidē, song; see wed-2 in Indo-European roots
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