I. ˈkāˌäs sometimes -āəs or -āˌōs noun
( -es )
Etymology: Latin, from Greek — more at gum
1. obsolete : chasm , gulf , abyss
2.
a. sometimes capitalized : a state of things in which chance is supreme : nature that is subject to no law or that is not necessarily uniform ; especially : the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct and orderly forms — contrasted with cosmos
b. : a state of utter confusion completely wanting in order, sequence, organization, or predictable operation
a process calculated to reduce the orderly life of our complicated societies to chaos — Aldous Huxley
the chaos of a subjectivity that lacks objective control — John Dewey
c. : a confused mass or agglomerate of matters or heterogeneous items that are hard to distinguish, isolate, or interpret
a work where nothing's just or fit, one glaring chaos and wild heap of wit — Alexander Pope
Synonyms: see confusion
II. noun
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin
: a genus of large amoebas variously delimited and sometimes regarded as equivalent to Amoeba or to Pelomyxa
III. noun
: the inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a complex natural system (as the atmosphere, boiling water, or the beating heart)
• chaotic adjective
• chaotically adverb