Etymology
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casualty (n.)

early 15c., casuelte, caswelte, "chance, accident; incidental charge," from casual (adj.) on model of royalty, penalty, etc. From the earliest use especially of untoward events or misfortunes. Meaning "losses in numbers from a military or other troop" is from late 15c. Meaning "an individual killed, wounded, or lost in battle" is from 1844. Casuality had some currency 16c.-17c. in the sense "chance, a chance occurrence," especially an unfortunate one, but now is obsolete.

Entries linking to casualty

casual (adj.)

late 14c., casuel, "subject to or produced by chance," from Old French casuel (15c.), from Late Latin casualis "by chance," from Latin casus "chance, occasion, opportunity; accident, event" (see case (n.1)).

Of persons, in the sense of "not to be depended on, unmethodical," it is attested from 1883 (from the notion of "without regularity," hence "uncertain, unpredictable"); meaning "showing lack of interest" is from 1916. Of clothes, "informal," from 1891. Related: Casually.

*kad- 
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to fall."

It forms all or part of: accident; cadaver; cadence; caducous; cascade; case (n.1); casual; casualty; casuist; casus belli; chance; cheat; chute (n.1); coincide; decadence; decay; deciduous; escheat; incident; occasion; occident; recidivist.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit sad- "to fall down;" Latin casus "a chance, occasion, opportunity; accident, mishap," literally "a falling," cadere "to fall, sink, settle down, decline, perish;" Armenian chacnum "to fall, become low;" perhaps also Middle Irish casar "hail, lightning."

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Definitions of casualty

casualty (n.)
someone injured or killed or captured or missing in a military engagement;
casualty (n.)
someone injured or killed in an accident;
Synonyms: injured party
casualty (n.)
an accident that causes someone to die;
Synonyms: fatal accident
casualty (n.)
a decrease of military personnel or equipment;
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near casualty

castrati

castration

castrato

casual

casualness

casualty

casuist

casuistry

casus belli

cat

CAT

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