Adjacent Words

stampede definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a headlong rush of people on a common impulse; "when he shouted `fire' there was a stampede to the exits"
2: a wild headlong rush of frightened animals (horses or cattle) v
1: cause to run in panic; "Thunderbolts can stampede animals"
2: cause a group or mass of people to act on an impulse or hurriedly and impulsively; "The tavern owners stampeded us into overeating"
3: act, usually en masse, hurriedly or on an impulse; "Companies will now stampede to release their latest software"
4: run away in a stampede

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: American Spanish estampida, from Spanish, crash, from estampar to stamp, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German stampf?n to stamp Date: 1828 1. a wild headlong rush or flight of frightened animals 2. a mass movement of people at a common impulse 3. an extended festival combining a rodeo with exhibitions, contests, and social events II. verb (stampeded; stampeding) Date: 1838 transitive verb 1. to cause to run away in headlong panic 2. to cause (as a group of people) to act on sudden or rash impulse intransitive verb 1. to flee headlong in panic 2. to act on mass impulse • stampeder noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a sudden flight and scattering of a number of horses, cattle, etc. 2 a sudden flight or hurried movement of people due to interest or panic. 3 US the spontaneous response of many persons to a common impulse. --v. 1 intr. take part in a stampede. 2 tr. cause to do this. 3 tr. cause to act hurriedly or unreasoningly. Derivatives: stampeder n. Etymology: Sp. estampida crash, uproar, ult. f. Gmc, rel. to STAMP

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stampede Stam*pede", n. Any sudden unconcerted moving or acting together of a number of persons, as from some common impulse; as, a stampede to the gold regions; a stampede in a convention.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stampede Stam*pede", v. i. To run away in a panic; -- said droves of cattle, horses, etc., also of armies.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stampede Stam*pede", v. t. To disperse by causing sudden fright, as a herd or drove of animals.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stampede Stam*pede", n. [Sp. estampida (in America) a stampede, estampido a crackling, akin to estampar to stamp, of German origin. See Stamp, v. t.] A wild, headlong scamper, or running away, of a number of animals; usually caused by fright; hence, any sudden flight or dispersion, as of a crowd or an army in consequence of a panic. She and her husband would join in the general stampede. --W. Black.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(stampedes, stampeding, stampeded) 1. If there is a stampede, a group of people or animals run in a wild, uncontrolled way. There was a stampede for the exit. N-COUNT: usu sing 2. If a group of animals or people stampede or if something stampedes them, they run in a wild, uncontrolled way. The crowd stampeded and many were crushed or trampled underfoot... Countryside robbers are learning the ways of the wild west by stampeding cattle to distract farmers before raiding their homes. ...a herd of stampeding cattle. VERB: V, V n, V-ing 3. If a lot of people all do the same thing at the same time, you can describe it as a stampede. Generous redundancy terms had triggered a stampede of staff wanting to leave. N-COUNT: usu sing

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Sudden flight (as of horses from fright).

Moby Thesaurus

abject fear, accelerate, affright, alarm, awe, blue funk, boggle, bolt, bundle, bustle, charge, chase, confound, consternation, cowardice, crash, crowd, dash, discomfit, dismay, dispatch, dread, drive on, expedite, fear, fight shy, flee, flight, fling, forward, fright, frighten, funk, haste, hasten, hasten on, hie on, horrification, horror, hurry, hurry along, hurry on, hurry up, hustle, hustle up, jib, jump, jump a mile, panic, panic fear, phobia, precipitate, press, push, push on, push through, put in fear, put to flight, put to rout, quicken, race, railroad through, rout, run, rush, rush along, scare, scatter, scattering, send scuttling, shoot, shy, skedaddle, speed, speed along, speed up, spur, start, start aside, startle, take flight, tear, terror, unholy dread, urge, whip, whip along