n.
- A sudden increase: an outbreak of influenza.
- A sudden eruption; an outburst: "an outbreak of strikes, violent agitation, and arrests" (Samuel Chew).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.