outbreak

[ out-breyk ]

noun

1. a sudden breaking break out or occurrence, especially of something bad or unpleasant; eruption:

   the outbreak of war.

2. a sudden and active manifestation:

   an outbreak of hives.

3. a sudden increase in the incidence of a disease or medical condition in a particular place or population: a worldwide polio outbreak in the early 1900s.

   a serious outbreak of malaria in northern Uganda;

   a worldwide polio outbreak in the early 1900s.

4. an outburst:

   an outbreak of temper.

5. an insurrection, revolt, or mutiny.
6. a public disturbance; riot.

outbreak

/ ˈaʊtˌbreɪk /

noun

1. a sudden, violent, or spontaneous occurrence, esp of disease or strife

Word History and Origins

Origin of outbreak¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; out- + break

Example Sentences

Even at the most remote locations, critical changes or incidents in the environment -- such as disease outbreaks, droughts or illegal killing of wildlife -- could then be recognised without delay.

From Science Daily

Show Racism the Red Card also called out viral social media posts linking Asian players to the coronavirus outbreak in 2020.

From BBC

But the coach is hopeful the outbreak hit its peak Tuesday, giving the team plenty of time to recover ahead of Saturday’s rivalry matchup.

From Los Angeles Times

Federal officials said that one person has died and at least 38 individuals have fallen sick due to the outbreak, NPR reported.

From Salon

If the hostility displayed by Kennedy and Trump toward vaccination mandates becomes federal policy, we may well see more and larger outbreaks.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• crash
• disruption
• epidemic
• eruption
• explosion
• flare-up
• onset
• plague
• storm
• surge
• uprising