outbreak

American  

[out-breyk] / ˈaʊtˌbreɪk /

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 British  

/ ˈaʊtˌbreɪk /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of outbreak

First recorded in 1595–1605; out- + break

Example Sentences

The sudden outbreak of war in the Middle East has led to tens of thousands of evacuations from Gulf countries.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It was a recipe for failure from the beginning,” said Crystal Sandoval, a legal representative for El Paso’s Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, who visited the camp weekly until a recent measles outbreak.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bennett, from Folkestone, Kent, previously told the BBC the couple's situation had reached "a terrifying breaking point" following the outbreak of war between Iran and the US and Israel.

From BBC

For Seifert Logistics, which transports goods by truck, the impact has been more immediate, with its diesel costs soaring 50 percent since the outbreak of the war.

From Barron's

The figures underscore that the economy was fragile even before the outbreak of Middle East conflict, which has caused a major energy shock that could have a ripple effect around the world.

From BBC

Related Words

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