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DictionaryRoot: kalyptein
Greek

kalyptein

to cover, conceal

1 / 3
Compact editorial vignette of widespread catastrophic destruction: three broken city buildings with collapsed bridges and enormous incoming wave behind them, debris minimal, no bodies.
noun

apocalypse

uh-PAH-kuh-lips/əˈpɑːkəlɪps/

A catastrophe that destroys a world or causes a society to collapse.

Etymology
apoGreekaway, off, from
+calypseGreekto cover, conceal

Taking a covering away gives the original sense, “revelation.” Through interpretations of the biblical Revelation as describing the world's violent end, the word came to mean a catastrophic event.

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