| 释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024ep•i•dem•ic /ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk/USA pronunciation n. [countable]- an occurrence of a disease affecting many individuals and spreading from person to person quickly.
- a rapid increase in the occurrence of something:an epidemic of brush fires.
adj. - of or resembling an epidemic:[before a noun]a crime wave of epidemic proportions.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024ep•i•dem•ic (ep′i dem′ik),USA pronunciation adj. - Medicine, PathologyAlso, 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.
- extremely prevalent; widespread.
n. - a temporary prevalence of a disease.
- a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something:an epidemic of riots.
- Greek epidēmía staying in one place, among the people, equivalent. to epi- epi- + dêm(os) people of a district + -ia -y3) + -ic
- Late Latin epidēmia
- obsolete epidem(y) (1595–1605
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: epidemic /ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk/ adj - (esp of a disease) attacking or affecting many persons simultaneously in a community or area
n - a widespread occurrence of a disease
- a rapid development, spread, or growth of something, esp something unpleasant
Etymology: 17th Century: from French épidémique, via Late Latin from Greek epidēmia literally: among the people, from epi- + dēmos peopleˌepiˈdemically adv |