epizootic
Part of speech: noun
adj
Morphological type: derivation
Topics: epidemiology
geography
geology
medicine
natural-sciences
sciences
Etymology: From French épizootique, animal equivalent of epidemic, from épizootie, irregularly formed from Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí) + ζῷον (zōîon, “animal”).
By surface analysis, epi- + zo- + -otic. Use of the word in the second sense, "an ailment", was likely originally a reference to a particular epizootic ailment. Both senses are attested since at least the 1800s, and the pronunciation with five syllables is explicitly attested since then as well. Dialectal pronunciation of the second sense with four syllables is attested since at least the 1910s in spellings like "epizudic" and is suggested by 1870s references to a shortened form of the word, "zooty".
Inflected forms:
form: epizootics
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: epizoötic
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: epizoodic
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: epizudic
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: more epizootic
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most epizootic
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: epizoötic
pos: adj
tags: alternative
form: epizoodic
pos: adj
tags: alternative
form: epizudic
pos: adj
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: An occurrence of a disease or disorder in a population of non-human animals at a frequency higher than that expected in a given time period.
pos: noun
examples: At the same time as an epidemic of the flu broke out among the people, an epizootic of the swine flu broke out among their pigs.
[…]but it can be asserted with confidence that Natal will for some years yet be free from the possibility of an invasion of the disease to the same degree as the epizootic of 1896 and 1897.
gloss: A particular epizootic disease.
pos: noun
examples: A surgeon in the town has also informed me, that a person requested him to prescribe for some lambs affected with the epizootic, and he gave them Epsom salts and opium, with, as he said, very good effect.
gloss: A disease or ailment (of humans).
pos: noun
tags: dialectal
humorous
in-plural
often
examples: Johnny's not doing so well today, I think he caught the epizootic.
Last fall, when Dad had the Epizootic; no, I don't mean that, tho I did think he had em, but when the Chicargar hosses got the Epizootic, Dad got all fired mad caus that xpressman didn't cum round to move the rest of our traps.
Never do I have colds — but I got the epizootics(?) and sneezed my head off — twenty three times yesterday.
"My Laws, Minnie! She's got spots! I guess you've got the epizootics."
Then along comes somebody else who says you've got epizootic and he can cure epizootic and he doesn't have to cut out the epi.
gloss: Like or having to do with an epizootic: a widespread outbreak of disease among nonhuman animals.
pos: adj
examples: Epizootic plague occurred in the mice following introduction of rats from Europe.
As much attention is being drawn to the subject of epizootic abortion in bovines, [...]
These are known respectively as the hair lung worm and the thread lung worm. The former of these is probably the more widely diffused, but the latter is more epizootic in flocks than the former.
1919 March 19, author not named, The Mud Larks, in Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 156, 2004 Gutenberg edition,
I handed it back to him, explaining that he had come to the wrong shop--unless he were a horse, of course. If he were and could provide his own nosebag, head-stall and Army Form 1640, testifying that he was guiltless of mange, ophthalmia or epizootic lymphangitis, I would do what I could for him.
The parasites important in Britain do, however, by themselves constitute a most serious source of loss to pig breeders — probably at least as serious as that caused by the various more spectacular but more epizootic bacterial diseases.
gloss: Containing fossils.
pos: adj
tags: rare
examples: Hence their primary division is into primeval and secondary or Epizootic. And the epizootic mountains are still farther distinguishable into original and derivative.
gloss: Relating to epizoa; epizoic.
pos: adj
Antonyms: enzootic
Related words: endemic
epidemic
epizoology
pandemic
panzootic
zootic
Derived words: antiepizootic
epizootically
epizootic hemorrhagic disease
epizootic ulcerative syndrome
epizootize
interepizootic
nonepizootic
Translations: