Word of the Day

: April 4, 2010

irrupt

verb ih-RUPT

What It Means

1 : to rush in forcibly or violently

2 : to undergo a sudden upsurge in numbers especially when natural ecological balances and checks are disturbed

3 : to become active or violent especially suddenly : erupt

irrupt in Context

The stadium irrupted in applause for the local high school choir's outstanding rendition of the national anthem.

Did You Know?

"Irrupt" and "erupt” have existed as discrete words since the 1800s. Both are descendants of the Latin verb "rumpere," which means "to break," but "irrupt" has affixed to it the prefix "ir-" (in the sense "into") while "erupt" begins with the prefix "e-" (meaning "out"). So "to irrupt" was originally to rush in, and "to erupt" was to burst out. But it's sometimes hard to distinguish the precise direction of a violent rush, and "irrupt" came to be used as a synonym of "erupt" in the senses "to become active or violent especially suddenly" and "to break forth," as in our example sentence.