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epidemic: Meaning and Definition of

ep•i•dem•ic

Pronunciation: (ep"i-dem'ik), [key]
— adj.
  1. (of a disease) affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent.
  2. extremely prevalent; widespread.
—n.
  1. a temporary prevalence of a disease.
  2. a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something: an epidemic of riots.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also:
Epidaurus epidemic encephalitis
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