irruption

From Middle French irruption, from Latin irruptio.

irruption (countable and uncountable, plural irruptions)

1. The action of irrupting or breaking into; a violent entry or invasion; an inbreaking; an intrusion.

   The Trojan irruption into the Greek camp is related in Book XV of the Iliad.

2. (ecology) An abrupt increase of an animal population.

   Extreme rainfall events predict irruptions of rat plagues in central Australia.

3. (by extension) An abrupt increase in the size of a movement or organization.

   How can we explain this irruption of young people self-identifying as socialists?

• prurition

From Latin irruptio. Cognate with Spanish irrupción, Catalan irrupció, Portuguese irrupção, Italian irruzione.

• IPA^(key): /i.ʁyp.sjɔ̃/

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irruption f (plural irruptions)

1. outbreak (an eruption, sudden appearance)
2. irruption

• “irruption” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).