outbreak
OWT-brayk
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/
A sudden rise in the incidence of a disease.
Usually refers to a localized event, such as in a specific city or institution, rather than a global one.
The story behind the word. A literal combination of 'out' and 'break', it originally referred to a physical breaking out of confinement. By the 1600s, it began to be used for the sudden appearance of diseases or civil unrest.
Word relationships
- eruption: Eruption is more dramatic and often used for skin conditions or violence, while outbreak is the standard term for infectious disease.
- containment: The act of keeping something under control rather than it breaking out.
Commonly confused with
- epidemic: An outbreak is a small-scale, sudden increase; an epidemic is a larger-scale outbreak covering a wider geographic area.
Word family
- break out (verb): To start suddenly (of a disease or war).
Collocations
- sudden outbreak
- disease outbreak
- contain an outbreak
Example sentences
- "The health department investigated a sudden outbreak of salmonella linked to a local restaurant." A report on food safety.
- "The outbreak of the war was followed closely by an outbreak of typhus in the crowded camps." Historical reference to war.
Memory hook
Think of a disease 'breaking out' of its cage and running through the streets. Break out = Outbreak.
When not to use
Do not use for a disease that is always present at a steady level; that is 'endemic'.
Fun facts
- In epidemiology, an outbreak is technically defined as two or more linked cases of the same illness.
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