Noun: epidemic ,e-pi'de-mik
- A widespread outbreak of an infectious disease; many people are infected at the same time
"The flu epidemic affected thousands in the city"
- (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"
Derived forms: epidemics
See also: epiphytotic, epizootic, pandemic, pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, plaguey
Type of: eruption, irruption, outbreak
Encyclopedia: Epidemic