epizootic

/ɛpɪ.zəˈwɒtɪk/

More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations

dialectal/ɛpɪˈzuːdɪk/

epizootic noun: 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.

Noun

epizootic (plural epizootics)

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.
- 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 1897.1901 July 5, H. Watkins-Pitchford, “The Umvoti Outbreak”, in The Agricultural Journal and Mining Record, volume 4, number 9, page 247
A particular epizootic disease.
- 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.1856, On the epizootic lately affecting lambs, in The Veterinarian; or Monthly Journal of Veterinary Science for 1856, volume XXIX-II, fourth series, edited by Morton and Simonds, page 450
(dialectal, humorous, in plural, often) A disease or ailment (of humans).
- 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.1873, Jeramiah Juniur Blows His Bugle, in Gem of the West and Soldiers' Friend, seventh year, January 1873, page 378

Adjective

epizootic (comparative more epizootic, superlative most epizootic)

Like or having to do with an epizootic: a widespread outbreak of disease among nonhuman animals.
- 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, [...]1913 September, J. J. Desmond, “An enzootic of contagious abortion in cattle”, in American Journal of Veterinary Medicine, volume VIII, number 9, page 470
(rare) Containing fossils.
- Hence their primary division is into primeval and secondary or Epizootic. And the epizootic mountains are still farther distinguishable into original and derivative.1799, Richard Kirwan, Geological Essays, pages 160–161
Relating to epizoa; epizoic.

epizootic meaning in Tamil

epizootic in Tamil

தற்காலிகதாக்கம், விலங்குமேற்பரவுநோய், விலங்குப்பரவனோய்

Examples of epizootic in a sentence

Never do I have colds — but I got the epizootics(?) and sneezed my head off — twenty three times yesterday.1977, Samuel M. Steward, editor, Dear Sammy: Letters from Getrude Stein and Alice Toklas, page 237:
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.1998, David Pietrusza, Judge and Jury, the life and times of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, page 348:
The former of these is probably the more widely diffused, but the latter is more epizootic in flocks than the former.1914, Thomas Shaw, Management and Feeding of Sheep, page 398:

Antonyms of epizootic

enzootic

Forms of epizootic

Noun
plural	epizootics
alternative form	epizoötic
alternative form	epizoodic
alternative form	epizudic
Adjective
comparative	more epizootic
superlative	most epizootic

Origin of epizootic

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".

Words formed from epizootic

Questions about epizootic

What does epizootic mean?: Epizootic means 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.
What is epizootic in Tamil?: Epizootic in Tamil is தற்காலிகதாக்கம், விலங்குமேற்பரவுநோய், விலங்குப்பரவனோய். See Epizootic meaning in Tamil.
How do you use epizootic in a sentence?: Never do I have colds — but I got the epizootics(?) and sneezed my head off — twenty three times yesterday.
What part of speech is epizootic?: Epizootic can be a noun or an adjective.
How do you pronounce epizootic?: Epizootic is pronounced /ɛpɪ.zəˈwɒtɪk/.
What is the plural of epizootic?: The plural of epizootic is epizootics.

Words near epizootic in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: epizootic (page history and authors); epizootic (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-epizootic.wav.

Cite this entry: “epizootic.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/epizootic. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.