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

The summit in Grantown, hosted by the Scottish government, will consider ways to improve resilience and prevent future outbreaks.

Read more on BBC

A recent editorial in Biocontaminant reveals that Guangdong Province is now facing the largest chikungunya fever outbreak ever documented in China, with more than 4,000 confirmed infections reported since late July.

Read more on Science Daily

Some have drawn a straight line from the collapse that day to the global Depression, the rise of the Nazis and the outbreak of World War II, in which Churchill would again make an appearance.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Of course, you’ll remember that the 1919 Stanley Cup never declared a winner, as it was whistled off due to an outbreak of influenza.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Beyond vaccination, other academic researchers have archived federal environmental and health data, re-created searchable data tools, and sent out measles outbreak reports usually distributed by the CDC.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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