tragedy One entry found.
Main Entry: trag·e·dy Pronunciation: \ˈtra-jə-dē\ Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural trag·e·dies Etymology: Middle English tragedie, from Middle French, from Latin tragoedia, from Greek tragōidia, from tragos goat (akin to Greek trōgein to gnaw) + aeidein to sing — more at troglodyte, ode Date: 14th century
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 elicits pity or terror c: the literary genre of tragic dramas
2 a: a disastrous event : calamity b: misfortune
3: tragic quality or element
The dictionaries you guys are quoting are nothing more than simply picking up the slang that ‘tragedy’ has been used. For example, the ‘tragic’ plays of Shakespeare are filled with casual slaughters and mass corpses on the stage. People began to associate such horrors with the word ‘tragedy’ itself which is how it entered its slang use.
You would be surprised how much you learn when you realize that dictionaries aren’t a good authority for much. Research more, and you will find this is true.
A ‘lot’ and ‘bit’ have also entered the slang, but that doesn’t stop a ‘lot’ to mean that it is a piece of land and ‘bit’ is something you put in a horse’s mouth.