I. |epə|demik, -mēk adjective
also ep·i·dem·i·cal -mə̇kəl, -mēk-
Etymology: French épidémique, from Middle French epidemique, from epidemie epidemic (n.) (from Late Latin epidemia, from Greek epidēmia visit, epidemic, from epidēmos visiting, prevalent, epidemic — from epi- + dēmos deme, populace — + -ia -y) + -ique -ic, -ical — more at dem-
1.
a. of a communicable disease
(1) : affecting or tending to affect many persons within a community, area, or region at one time
many children died that winter of epidemic fevers
typhoid was epidemic
broadly : pandemic — distinguished from endemic
(2) : epiphytotic or epizootic — not used technically
b. : prevalent especially to a degree felt to be excessive
padded shoulders became epidemic in the late thirties — Lois Long
common ; specifically of economic insects : present in such numbers as to constitute a plague
this defoliator became epidemic in 1949
c. : contagious 3
an epidemic personality
epidemic laughter
2. : of, relating to, or constituting an epidemic
the outbreak was of epidemic proportions
the epidemic phase of the grasshopper cycle
• ep·i·dem·i·cal·ly -mə̇k(ə)lē, -mēk-, -li adverb
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : an outbreak of epidemic disease
the Indonesian malaria epidemic
plagues, epidemics, heat, and other trials
b. : an outbreak of something felt to resemble an epidemic disease especially in its rapid spread
harnessed Niagara did not start a hydroelectric epidemic — Roger Burlingame
the ugly epidemic of rioting which flared clear across the nation — E.A.Gray
2. : a product of epidemic spread, growth, or development ; specifically : a natural population (as of insects) suddenly and greatly enlarged