[trag.e.dy] n, pl -dies [ME tragedie, fr. MF, fr. L tragoedia, fr. Gk tragoidia, fr. tragos goat (akin to Gk trogein to gnaw) + aeidein to sing--more at troglodyte, ode] (14c) 1 a: a medieval narrative poem or tale typically describing the downfall of a great man b: a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (as destiny) and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror c: the literary genre of tragic dramas
2. a: a disastrous event: calamity b: misfortune
3: tragic quality or element