Etymology

hemoclysm

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Today it means: A violent and bloody conflict, a bloodbath; specifically (chiefly with capital initial), the period of the mid-twentieth century encompassing both world wars. Full definition →

First used 20th c.Ancient Greek κλυσμός
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The story

  1. Ancient Greek · borrowed fromκλυσμός“wash; flood”
  2. English todayhemoclysm

Coined by Matthew White (a historian) (see citation 1998, below), from hemo- + Ancient Greek κλυσμός (klusmós, “wash; flood”).

First known use, by meaning

  • from 20th c. A violent and bloody conflict, a bloodbath; specifically (chiefly with capital initial), the period of the mid-twentieth century encompassing both world wars.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.