outbreak

OWT-brayk/ˈaʊtbɹeɪk/

Verboutbreaks, outbreaking, outbroke, outbroken

5 meanings of outbreak

1
nouncountable
The sudden appearance or eruption of a disease, rash, or similar condition.
Health officials traced the outbreak to contaminated water at the county fair.
A measles outbreak swept through the region after vaccination rates fell.
Similarepidemic, flare-up, eruption
2
nouncountable
A sudden increase in the amount, number, or frequency of something.
The merger announcement triggered an outbreak of speculation among investors.
Cheap loans produced an outbreak of construction across the suburbs.
Similarsurge, burst, flurry, spate, rash
3
nounfigurativelycountable
A sudden outburst or eruption of activity, especially violence or mischief.
Police moved quickly to contain the outbreak of looting downtown.
An outbreak of pranks plagued the dormitory during finals week.
Similaroutburst, eruption, wave, spate, rash
4
verbintransitive
To burst out or break forth suddenly.
Disease tends to outbreak where sanitation systems fail.
Riots may outbreak if the verdict angers the crowd.
Similarerupt, arise
5
nouncountable
An escape from prison or other confinement; a breakout.
Three inmates planned the outbreak for months, hiding tools in the laundry room.
News of the outbreak spread quickly through the small town near the penitentiary.
Similarbreakout

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English outbreken, from Old English ūtābrecan ("to break out"), equivalent to out- plus break. It is cognate with Dutch uitbreken and German ausbrechen ("to break out, erupt").