outbreak

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”).

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outbreak (plural outbreaks)

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

   Any epidemic outbreak causes understandable panic.

2. (figuratively) An outburst or sudden eruption, especially of violence and mischief.

   There has been an outbreak of broken windows in the street.

3. A sudden increase.

   There has been an outbreak of vandalism at the school.

4. A geological layer that breaks out.

• (figurative outburst): outburst, tumult

• inbreak

outbreak (third-person singular simple present outbreaks, present participle outbreaking, simple past outbroke, past participle outbroken)

1. (intransitive) To burst out.
2. (intransitive) To break forth.

• breakout

• break out, breakout, kabouter, outbrake