/ stæmˈpiːd; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun [ C , usually sing. ]
1.
a situation in which a group of people or large animals such as horses suddenly start running in the same direction, especially because they are frightened or excited :
A stampede broke out when the doors opened.
2.
a situation in which a lot of people are trying to do or achieve the same thing at the same time :
Falling interest rates has led to a stampede to buy property.
■ verb
1.
( of large animals or people ) to run in a stampede ; to make animals do this :
[ v ]
a herd of stampeding elephants
A huge bunch of kids came stampeding down the corridor.
[also vn ]
2.
[ vn ] [ usually passive ] stampede sb (into sth / into doing sth) to make sb rush into doing sth without giving them time to think about it :
I refuse to be stampeded into making any hasty decisions.
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WORD ORIGIN
early 19th cent.: Mexican Spanish use of Spanish estampida crash, uproar, of Germanic origin; related to the verb stamp .