epidemic


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ep·i·dem·ic

 (ĕp′ĭ-dĕm′ĭk) also ep·i·dem·i·cal (-ĭ-kəl)
adj.
1. Spreading rapidly and extensively by infection and affecting many individuals in an area or a population at the same time: an epidemic outbreak of influenza.
2. Widely prevalent: epidemic discontent.
n.
1. An outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely.
2. A rapid spread, growth, or development: an unemployment epidemic.

[French épidémique, from épidémie, an epidemic, from Old French espydymie, from Medieval Latin epidēmia, from Greek epidēmiā, prevalence of an epidemic disease, from epidēmos, prevalent : epi-, epi- + dēmos, people; see dā- in Indo-European roots.]

ep′i·dem′i·cal·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

epidemic

(ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk)
adj
(Medicine) (esp of a disease) attacking or affecting many persons simultaneously in a community or area
n
1. (Medicine) a widespread occurrence of a disease: an influenza epidemic.
2. a rapid development, spread, or growth of something, esp something unpleasant: an epidemic of strikes.
[C17: from French épidémique, via Late Latin from Greek epidēmia literally: among the people, from epi- + dēmos people]
ˌepiˈdemically adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ep•i•dem•ic

(ˌɛp ɪˈdɛm ɪk)

adj. Also, ep`i•dem′i•cal.
1. (of a disease) affecting many individuals at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent.
2. extremely prevalent; widespread.
n.
3. a temporary prevalence of a disease.
4. a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something.
[1595–1605; obsolete epidem(y) (< Late Latin epidēmia < Greek epidēmía stay in one place, prevalence =epi- epi- + dêm(os) people of a district]
ep`i•dem′i•cal•ly, adv.
ep`i•de•mic′i•ty (-dəˈmɪs ɪ ti) n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

ep·i·dem·ic

(ĕp′ĭ-dĕm′ĭk)
An outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely. See Note at endemic.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

epidemic

a disease that is widely prevalent in a particular area. — epidemical, adj.epidemicity, n.
See also: Disease and Illness
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.epidemic - a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease; many people are infected at the same time
outbreak, irruption, eruption - a sudden violent spontaneous occurrence (usually of some undesirable condition); "the outbreak of hostilities"
pandemic - an epidemic that is geographically widespread; occurring throughout a region or even throughout the world
Adj.1.epidemic - (especially of medicine) of disease or anything resembling a disease; attacking or affecting many individuals in a community or a population simultaneously; "an epidemic outbreak of influenza"
medical specialty, medicine - the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques
ecdemic - of or relating to a disease that originates outside the locality in which it occurs
endemic, endemical - of or relating to a disease (or anything resembling a disease) constantly present to greater or lesser extent in a particular locality; "diseases endemic to the tropics"; "endemic malaria"; "food shortages and starvation are endemic in certain parts of the world"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

epidemic

noun
1. outbreak, plague, growth, spread, scourge, contagion A flu epidemic is sweeping through Britain.
2. spate, plague, outbreak, wave, rash, eruption, upsurge an epidemic of racist crimes
adjective
1. widespread, wide-ranging, general, sweeping, prevailing, rampant, prevalent, rife, pandemic The abuse of crack has reached epidemic proportions in the US in recent years.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

epidemic

noun
A sudden increase in something, as the occurrence of a disease:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
epidemieepidemický
epidemi
epidemia
epidemiakulkutaudinomainenkulkutautiepideeminen
epidemijaepidemijskipošast
járvány
faraldurfarsóttfarsótt, faraldur
流行病
유행병
epidemija
epidēmija
epidémia
epidemija
epidemi
การแพร่ระบาดอย่างรวดเร็ว
bệnh dịch

epidemic

[ˌepɪˈdemɪk]
A. ADJepidémico
B. Nepidemia f (fig) → ola f
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

epidemic

[ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk]
népidémie f
a flu epidemic → une épidémie de grippe
modif
to be of epidemic proportions [outbreak] → être de proportions épidémiques
to reach epidemic proportions [problem, disease] → atteindre des proportions épidémiques
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

epidemic

nEpidemie f (also fig), → Seuche f
adjepidemisch
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

epidemic

[ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk]
1. adjepidemico/a
2. nepidemia
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

epidemic

(epiˈdemik) noun
an outbreak of a disease that spreads rapidly and attacks very many people. an epidemic of measles/influenza.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

epidemic

وَباء epidemie epidemi Epidemie επίδημία epidemia epidemia épidémie epidemija epidemia 流行病 유행병 epidemie epidemi epidemia epidemia эпидемия epidemi การแพร่ระบาดอย่างรวดเร็ว salgın bệnh dịch 流行
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

ep·i·dem·ic

n. epidemia, enfermedad que se manifiesta con alta frecuencia y que afecta a un número considerable de personas en una región o comunidad;
a. epidémico-a;
___ outbreakbrote ___;
___ growth factorfactor ___ de crecimiento.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

epidemic

adj epidémico; n epidemia
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
It turned out that the Jeroboam had a malignant epidemic on board, and that Mayhew, her captain, was fearful of infecting the Pequod's company.
The inhabitants of Shetland know him far and wide, under a name in their dialect which means, being interpreted, "The Master of Books." The one occasion on which he and his daughter have been known to leave their island retreat was at a past time when a terrible epidemic disease broke out among the villages in the neighborhood.
The city, indeed, seemed abandoned to supreme neglect; it betrayed that indifference which seems epidemic to cities that are passing away.
Towards the end of the term two or three boys caught scarlet fever, and there was much talk of sending them all home in order to escape an epidemic; but the sufferers were isolated, and since no more were attacked it was supposed that the outbreak was stopped.
In these crises there breaks out an epidemic that, in all earlier epochs, would have seemed an absurdity -- the epidemic of over-production.
It is notoriously infested by the most desperate and degraded set of wretches in the whole metropolitan population, and it is so thickly inhabited that it is hardly ever completely free from epidemic disease.
There had been the usual epidemic of burglaries that season.
The epidemic of shooting of New York City policemen was a remarkable affair.
Those who died during this epidemic were buried in graves, after the manner of the whites, but without any regard to the direction of the head.
{fever of 1805 = New York City had suffered a major epidemic of yellow fever in the summer of 1805; tambour-frame = a circular frame used to hold material being embroidered}
It was owing to the epidemic of chicken-pox in New York the winter Mrs.
While she was at her Ohio home on her vacation, the worst epidemic of yellow fever broke out in Memphis, Tenn., that perhaps has ever occurred in the South.