STAMPEDE

stampede

(noun) a headlong rush of people on a common impulse; “when he shouted ‘fire’ there was a stampede to the exits”

stampede

(noun) a wild headlong rush of frightened animals (horses or cattle)

stampede

(verb) run away in a stampede

stampede

(verb) cause to run in panic; “Thunderbolts can stampede animals”

stampede

(verb) act, usually en masse, hurriedly or on an impulse; “Companies will now stampede to release their latest software”

stampede

(verb) cause a group or mass of people to act on an impulse or hurriedly and impulsively; “The tavern owners stampeded us into overeating”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

stampede (plural stampedes)

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.

A situation in which many people in a crowd are trying to go in the same direction at the same time.

(figurative) Any sudden unconcerted moving or acting together of a number of persons, as from some common impulse.

Synonyms

• (a wild running away): rush, flight

• (an intensive movement of a crowd): crush, jam, trampling

Verb

stampede (third-person singular simple present stampedes, present participle stampeding, simple past and past participle stampeded)

(intransitive) To run away in a panic; said of cattle, horses, etc, also of armies.

(transitive) To disperse by causing sudden fright, as a herd or drove of animals.

(of people) To move rapidly in a mass.

Anagrams

• stepdame

Source: Wiktionary

Stam*pede", n. Etym: [Sp. estampida (in America) a stampede, estampido a crackling, akin to estampar to stamp, of German origin. See Stamp, v. t.]

Definition: 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.

Stam*pede", v. i.

Definition: To run away in a panic; -- said droves of cattle, horses, etc., also of armies.

Stam*pede", v. t.

Definition: To disperse by causing sudden fright, as a herd or drove of animals.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition