# outbreak

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈaʊtbɹeɪk/ · frequency rank #7,257

## Definitions
1. An eruption; the sudden appearance of a rash, disease, etc.
2. A sudden increase.
3. An outburst or sudden eruption, especially of violence and mischief.
4. Synonym of breakout (“escape from prison”).

## Etymology
From Middle English outbreken, oute-breken, from Old English ūtābrecan (“to break out”), equivalent to out- + break. Cognate with Saterland Frisian uutbreeke (“to break out, burst out”), West Frisian útbrekke (“to break out”), Dutch uitbreken (“to break out, burst out”), German ausbrechen (“to break out, erupt”).
The noun is cognate with Saterland Frisian Uutbreek (“outbreak”), West Frisian útbrek (“outbreak”), Dutch uitbraak (“outbreak”), and German Ausbruch (“outbreak”), and is comparable to Danish udbrud (“outbreak”), Faroese and Icelandic útbrot (“rash”), Norwegian utbrudd (“outbreak”), and Swedish utbrott (“outbreak”).

## Common misspellings (11)
`otubreak`, `oubtreak`, `outbbreak`, `outberak`, `outbraek`, `outbreakk`, `outbreka`, `outbrreak`, `outrbeak`, `outtbreak`, `uotbreak`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/outbreak