adjective
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irrupting or tending to irrupt
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of, involving, or causing irruption
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obsolete (of igneous rocks) intrusive
Other Word Forms
- irruptively adverb
- unirruptive adjective
Etymology
Origin of irruptive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I’m not sure if pine grosbeak are irruptive, but maybe that is part of the equation as they only show up in the valley like this once every 10 years.”
From Washington Times • Jan. 31, 2015
Red crossbills, white-winged crossbills and hoary redpolls are irruptive species that have made an appearance in the Gallatin Valley this winter.
From Washington Times • Jan. 31, 2015
While rare and irruptive species are undeniably appealing to avid birders, the winter also provides a great time to see a variety of more common but no less fascinating species.
From Washington Times • Jan. 31, 2015
Winter birders looking for unusual birds often pursue irruptive species.
From Washington Times • Jan. 31, 2015
The chalice was deep enough to hold two gallons of liquid, the pistil was red, and the supporting stem was gnarled and irruptive with excrescences.
From A Transient Guest and Other Episodes by Saltus, Edgar
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
