outbreak

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a sudden violent spontaneous occurrence (usually of some undesirable condition)

   the outbreak of hostilities

2. 2
   noun

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

   Any epidemic outbreak causes understandable panic.

3. 3
   noun

   A sudden increase.

   There has been an outbreak of vandalism at the school.

4. 4
   noun

   An outburst or sudden eruption, especially of violence and mischief.

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

5. 5
   noun

   Synonym of breakout (“escape from prison”).

6. 6
   verb

   To burst out or break forth.

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”), an…