Link Centre Dictionary

pandemic

pan·de·mic

UK/pænˈdɛmɪk/ US/pænˈdɛmɪk/ uncommon rare
noun (1) adjective (2)

noun

1.

an epidemic that is geographically widespread; occurring throughout a region or even throughout the world

adjective

1.

epidemic over a wide geographical area

  • “a pandemic outbreak of malaria”
Similar
2.

existing everywhere

  • “pandemic fear of nuclear war”
Similar

Origin

From Ancient Greek πάνδημος (pándēmos, “of or belonging to all the people, public”) + English -ic (suffix forming adjectives from nouns with the sense ‘of or pertaining to’). πάνδημος is derived from παν- (pan-, prefix meaning ‘all, every’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (“to protect, shepherd”)) + δῆμος (dêmos, “the common people; free citizens, sovereign people”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂- (“to divide, share”)). Compare Late Latin pandēmus (“affecting all the people, general, public”).

Phrases

  • Black Death
  • bubonic plague
  • pandemic baby
  • Spanish flu

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.