(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
If there is an ~ of a country, a foreign army enters it by force.
...seven years after the Roman ~ of Britain...
N-VAR: usu with supp, oft adj N, N of n
2.
If you refer to the arrival of a large number of people or things as an ~, you are emphasizing that they are unpleasant or difficult to deal with.
...this year’s annual ~ of flies, wasps and ants...
N-VAR: oft N of n
3.
If you describe an action as an ~, you disapprove of it because it affects someone or something in a way that is not wanted.
Is reading a child’s diary always a gross ~ of privacy?
N-VAR: usu N of n disapproval