Outrush

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A sudden, strong surge of movement or force that happens quickly
2. A rapid, powerful flow or release occurring abruptly in a short time
3. An intense and swift outpouring or outflow that emerges unexpectedly

Etymology: The word is a simple compound: the prefix "out-" joined to "rush," and the sense of "out-" here is the plain one, meaning "outward" or "away from within." Its ingredients have travelled very different routes. "Out" descends from an ancient root meaning "up" or "out," passing through Old English "ūt" and Middle English "ut" before settling into its modern form. "Rush" has a separate and older-looking story: it comes from Old English "rysċe," a form that goes back through Middle English "rische" to a Proto-West Germanic base, and it originally carried the idea of rapid, forceful motion, the same energy that a sudden surge of water or crowd still suggests. Joining the two was a natural step in English, which has long built compounds from "out" plus a verb to describe something moving or breaking outward. The result describes a sudden, forceful release, like water bursting through a dam or emotion pouring out, and the combination stresses both the force of the rush and its direction away from a confined space.

Synonyms: surge, rush, flood