STAMPEDE

I. noun Etymology: American Spanish estampida, from Spanish, crash, from estampar to stamp, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German stampfōn to stamp Date: 1828 a wild headlong rush or flight of frightened animals, a mass movement of people at a common impulse, an extended festival combining a rodeo with exhibitions, contests, and social events, II. verb (~d; stampeding) Date: 1838 transitive verb to cause to run away in headlong panic, to cause (as a group of people) to act on sudden or rash impulse, intransitive verb to flee headlong in panic, to act on mass impulse, ~r noun