TRAG'EDY, noun [Gr. said to be composed of a goat, and a song, because originally it consisted in a hymn sung in honor of Bacchus by a chorus of music, with dances and the sacrifice of a goat.] 1. A dramatic poem representing some signal action performed by illustrious persons, and generally having a fatal issue. Aeschylus is called the father of tragedy All our tragedies are of kings and princes. 2. A fatal and mournful event; any event in which human lives are lost by human violence, more particularly by unauthorized violence.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI