Definition for panic - Oxford Dictionaries Online (World English)

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	panic1 (panic) Pronunciation: /ˈpanɪk/ noun [mass noun] sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behaviour: she hit him in panic [in singular]: he ran to the library in a blind panic [count noun] a state of widespread financial alarm provoking hasty action: he caused an economic panic by his sudden resignation [as modifier]: panic selling [count noun] informal a frenzied hurry to do something: a workload of constant panics and rush jobs verb (panics, panicking, panicked) feel or cause to feel panic: [no object]: the crowd panicked and stampeded for the exit [with object]: talk of love panicked her [with object] (panic someone into) drive someone through panic into (hasty action): we are not going to be panicked into a decision Phrases panic stations British informal a state of alarm or emergency: many people were at panic stations because of popular unrest Derivatives panicky adjective Origin: early 17th century: from French panique, from modern Latin panicus, from Greek panikos, from the name of the god Pan, noted for causing terror, to whom woodland noises were attributed Spelling rule If a verb ends in -ic (as in picnic), add a k after the c when adding -ed, -ing, and -er: (panics, panicking, panicked).		Search results in the dictionary panic (also panic grass)² moral panic panic room panic attack panic button panic buying More results » Nearby Words pang panga Pangaea Pangloss pangolin pangram panhandle Panhellenic pani puri panic ¹ panic ² panic attack panic button panic buying panic disorder panic room panic-monger panic-stricken panicle