clap
n. countablen. a sudden and serious outbreak of a disease, especially one that affects many people at once. You use this word when talking about health emergencies.
n. a sudden and severe outbreak of a disease, typically infectious, affecting a large number of people within a specific community or region. Often used in the phrase 'in the clap' to refer to gonorrhoea in informal contexts.
The town suffered a bad clap of flu.
Health officials worked quickly to stop the clap of measles from spreading to other schools.
The historical record shows that the clap of cholera in 1854 devastated the local population before the source of the contaminated water was identified.
From Middle English clappen, from Old English clæppan, clappian, from Proto-West Germanic klappijan, klappōn, from Proto-Germanic klappōną (“to clap”). Cognate with Dutch klappen, Icelandic klappa, Faroese klappa and Danish klappe.
Uncertain. Probably from Old French clapoir (“bubo, inflammation from infection”), from clapier (“brothel”). May also be from old, unsafe treatments for gonorrhea, such as clapping the penis between a book and a hard surface to break up obstructions in the urethra and permit urination. Attested from the 16th century.