erupte‧rupt /ɪˈrʌpt/ ●○○ verb [intransitive] 1 to happen suddenly: A bloody civil war erupted in Iran.2earth science if a volcano erupts, it sends out smoke, fire, and rock into the sky3if a place erupts, the people there suddenly become very angry or excited: The crowd erupted into applause. [Origin: 1600–1700 Latin, past participle of erumpere “to burst out”]