outbreak

nounverbattested in dialogue

//ˈaʊtbɹeɪk//

An eruption; the sudden appearance of a rash, disease, etc.

noun

1
An eruption; the sudden appearance of a rash, disease, etc.
Any epidemic outbreak causes understandable panic.
2
A sudden increase.
There has been an outbreak of vandalism at the school.
One such investigation described how kindness can be contagious. It was sparked by reports of an outbreak of kindness on a cold December morning in 2012.
3
figurativeAn outburst or sudden eruption, especially of violence and mischief.
There has been an outbreak of broken windows in the street.
4
Synonym of breakout (“escape from prison”).

Etymology

From Middle English outbreken, oute-breken, from Old English ūtābrecan (“to break out”), equivalent to out- + break. Cognate with Saterland Frisian uutbreeke (“to break out, burst out”), West Frisian útbrekke (“to break out”), Dutch uitbreken (“to break out, burst out”), German ausbrechen (“to break out, erupt”). The noun is cognate with Saterland Frisian Uutbreek (“outbreak”), West Frisian útbrek (“outbreak”), Dutch uitbraak (“outbreak”), and German Ausbruch (“outbreak”), and is comparable to Danish udbrud (“outbreak”), Faroese and Icelandic útbrot (“rash”), Norwegian utbrudd (“outbreak”), and Swedish utbrott (“outbreak”).

verb

1
To burst out or break forth.

Forms

plural: outbreaks
past tense: outbroke
past participle: outbroken
present participle: outbreaking
third person singular: outbreaks

ourselves · Us; the group including the speaker as the object of a verb…out · Away from the inside or centre.out- · External to, on the outside of

outbreak · An eruption; the sudden appearance of a rash, disease, etc.

outburst · An intense period of activity.outcast · To cast out; to banish.outcome · That which is produced or occurs as a result of an event or…

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