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erupt

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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From Latin eruptus, past participle of ērumpō (to break out (of), to burst out (from)), from e (out) + rumpō (to break).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ɪˈɹʌpt/
  • Rhymes: -ʌpt
  • Audio (US):(file)

Verb

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erupt (third-person singular simple present erupts, present participle erupting, simple past and past participle erupted)

  1. (intransitive) To eject something violently (such as lava or water, as from a volcano or geyser).
    The volcano erupted, spewing lava across a wide area.
  2. (intransitive) To burst forth; to break out.
    The third molar tooth erupts late in most people, and sometimes does not appear at all.
  3. (intransitive, figuratively) To spontaneously release pressure or tension.
    The crowd erupted in anger.
    • 2010 December 29, Chris Whyatt, “Chelsea 1 - 0 Bolton”, in BBC[1]:
      :
      And Stamford Bridge erupted with joy as Florent Malouda slotted in a cross from Drogba, who had stayed just onside.
    • 2012 January, Michael Riordan, “Tackling Infinity”, in American Scientist[2], volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 30 April 2013, page 86:
      Some of the most beautiful and thus appealing physical theories, including quantum electrodynamics and quantum gravity, have been dogged for decades by infinities that erupt when theorists try to prod their calculations into new domains. Getting rid of these nagging infinities has probably occupied far more effort than was spent in originating the theories.
  4. (intransitive, biology) (Of birds, insects, etc.) To suddenly appear in a certain region in large numbers.
    • 1988, Michael Cady, Rob Hume, editors, The Complete Book of British Birds, page 242:
      After particularly good seasons, flocks "erupt" from their breeding grounds and appear in reed beds where they have not been seen for years, if ever.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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