outbreak
OWT-brayk
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/
A sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease.
In food safety, it specifically refers to two or more people getting the same illness from the same contaminated food.
The story behind the word. A Middle English compound of 'out' and 'break'. It vividly describes the moment a contained disease 'breaks out' of its local confines and spreads through a community.
Word relationships
- epidemic: An epidemic is a larger, more widespread outbreak.
- eruption: Eruption is often used for violence or volcanoes; outbreak is standard for disease.
- containment: The action of keeping something harmful under control or within limits.
Commonly confused with
- incubation: Incubation is the quiet phase; the outbreak is the noisy, visible phase.
Word family
- break out (verb phrase): To start suddenly.
Collocations
- disease outbreak
- sudden outbreak
- outbreak investigation
- contain an outbreak
Example sentences
- "Health officials are investigating a multi-state outbreak of E. coli linked to romaine lettuce." News headline
- "The swift response of the CDC helped contain the outbreak before it could spread further." Public health advisory
Memory hook
The disease 'breaks' 'out' of the kitchen and into the public. Sudden spread.
When not to use
Do not use for a single case of illness; use 'infection' or 'case' instead.
Fun facts
- The largest foodborne outbreak in US history occurred in 1994, when 224,000 people were sickened by contaminated ice cream.
Related words
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