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epidemic

 - 9 dictionary results
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ep⋅i⋅dem⋅ic

  [ep-i-dem-ik]
–adjective
1. Also, ep⋅i⋅dem⋅i⋅cal. (of a disease) affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent.
2. extremely prevalent; widespread.
–noun
3. a temporary prevalence of a disease.
4. a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something: an epidemic of riots.
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Origin:
1595–1605; obs. epidem(y) (< LL epidēmia < Gk epidēmía staying in one place, among the people, equiv. to epi- epi- + dêm(os) people of a district + -ia -y 3 ) + -ic

Related forms:
ep⋅i⋅dem⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
ep⋅i⋅de⋅mic⋅i⋅ty  [ep-i-duh-mis-i-tee] , noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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ep·i·dem·ic   (ěp'ĭ-děm'ĭk)   
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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

epidemic

A contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely among the population in an area. Immunization and quarantine are two of the methods used to control an epidemic.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

epidemic 
1603, from Fr. épidémique, from épidemié "an epidemic disease," from M.L. epidemia, from Gk. epidemia "prevalence of an epidemic disease" (especially the plague), from epi- "among, upon" + demos "people, district" (see demotic). Epidemiology "the study of epidemics" is from 1873.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1ep·i·dem·ic
Pronunciation: "ep-&-'dem-ik
Variant: also ep·i·dem·i·cal /-i-k&l/
Function: adjective
1 : affecting or tending to affect an atypically large number of individuals within a population, community, or region at thesame time epidemic> —compare ENDEMIC, SPORADIC
2 : of, relating to, or constituting an epidemic epidemic proportions —Herbert Ratner> —ep·i·dem·i·cal·ly /-i-k(&-)lE/ adverb

Main Entry: 2epidemic
Function: noun
1 : an outbreak of epidemic disease
2 : a natural population (as of insects) suddenly andgreatly enlarged
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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epidemic ep·i·dem·ic (ěp'ĭ-děm'ĭk) or ep·i·dem·i·cal (-ĭ-kəl)
adj.
Spreading rapidly and extensively by infection and affecting many individuals in an area or a population at the same time, as of a disease or illness. n.
An outbreak or unusually high occurrence of a disease or illness in a population or area.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
epidemic   (ěp'ĭ-děm'ĭk)  Pronunciation Key 
An outbreak of a disease or illness that spreads rapidly among individuals in an area or population at the same time. See also endemic, pandemic.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

epidemic

an occurrence of disease that is temporarily of high prevalence. An epidemic occurring over a wide geographical area (e.g., worldwide) is called a pandemic. The rise and decline in epidemic prevalence of an infectious disease is a probability phenomenon dependent upon transfer of an effective dose of the infectious agent from an infected individual to a susceptible one. After an epidemic has subsided, the affected host population contains a sufficiently small proportion of susceptible individuals that reintroduction of the infection will not result in a new epidemic. Since the parasite population cannot reproduce itself in such a host population, the host population as a whole is immune to the epidemic disease, a phenomenon termed herd immunity.

Learn more about epidemic with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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