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Irrupt and erupt have existed side-by-side since the former entered the English language in the 1800s (erupt had been a part of the language for over two centuries at that point). Both are descendants of the Latin verb rumpere, which means "to break," but irrupt has affixed to it the prefix ir- (in the sense "into") while erupt begins with the prefix e- (meaning "out"). So "to irrupt" was originally to rush in, and "to erupt" was to burst out. But it's sometimes hard to distinguish the precise direction of a violent rush, and irrupt came to be used as a synonym of erupt in the senses "to become active or violent especially suddenly" and "to break forth."
Examples of irrupt in a Sentence
Usman T. Malik, Wired, 11 Dec. 2020
Much of the excitement comes from the opportunity to see migrants such as snowy owls and winter finches irrupting from the north, as well as southern species expanding their winter ranges northward.
—James F. McCarty, cleveland.com, 8 Dec. 2017
Dictionary Entries Near irrupt
Cite this Entry
“Irrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irrupt. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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