OUTBREAK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does outbreak mean? 

• OUTBREAK (noun)
  The noun OUTBREAK has 1 sense:

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

  Familiarity information: OUTBREAK used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OUTBREAK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

eruption; irruption; outbreak

Context example:

the outbreak of hostilities

Hypernyms ("outbreak" is a kind of...):

happening; natural event; occurrence; occurrent (an event that happens)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "outbreak"):

epidemic (a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease; many people are infected at the same time)

recrudescence (a return of something after a period of abatement)

 Context examples 

Outbreaks can also happen after disasters.

(Cholera, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Outbreaks occur in the rainy season.

(Dengue, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Symptoms of herpes are called outbreaks.

(Genital Herpes, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

This could lead to a pandemic, a worldwide outbreak of the illness.

(Bird Flu, NIH)

Although antiviral medications can help shorten outbreaks, the virus persists in the body and can reactivate, which underscores the need for new treatment approaches.

(Glutamine suppresses herpes in mice and guinea pigs, National Institutes of Health)

The team also found more than 50 mutations that arose as the outbreak spread.

(Genetics of the 2014 Ebola Outbreak, NIH)

It keeps track of health trends, tries to find the cause of health problems and outbreaks of disease, and responds to new public health threats.

(CDC, NCI Dictionary)

Study of the effects of nutrition on disease incidence and outbreaks.

(Nutritional Epidemiology, NCI Thesaurus)

He seemed more interested than annoyed at my outbreak.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Medicines to help your body fight the virus can help lessen symptoms and decrease outbreaks.

(Herpes Simplex, NIH)