exodus
UK[ˈɛksədəs]US[ˈɛksədəs]
n
a situation in which many people leave a place at the same time
n
(exodus) the departure of the israelites from egypt as described in the bible
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
odus
ex
out
odus
way, journey
Etymology
the word exodus entered english in the early 17th century via ecclesiastical latin from greek 'exodos', which literally means 'a going out'. the greek term is a compound of 'ex-' (out) and 'hodos' (way, road, journey). it was first used in english to specifically denote the departure of the israelites from egypt, as narrated in the second book of the old testament. from this singular, momentous biblical event, the meaning broadened to describe any mass departure of people, carrying the connotation of a significant and often hurried journey away from a place.
Analysis
Structure: ex (out) + odus (way, journey)
ex- (latin, prefix meaning 'out of, from'); -odus (from greek 'hodos', meaning 'way, road, journey').
Examples
the war caused a mass exodus of refugees from the city.
every summer, there is a daily exodus of workers heading to the coast for the weekend.
the book of exodus describes the journey of moses and the israelites.