amok
One who runs amok; in Malay and Moro/Philippine culture, one who attempts to kill many…One who runs amok; in Malay and Moro/Philippine culture, one who attempts to kill many others, especially expecting that they will be killed themselves.
» The inflation rate is running amok.
Meaning
3 sensesOne who runs amok; in Malay and Moro/Philippine culture, one who attempts to kill many others, especially expecting that they will be killed themselves.
The act of running amok.
(uncountable)A kind of Southeast Asian curry steamed in banana leaves native to Cambodia.
Examples
4 sentencesThe inflation rate is running amok.
The children are running amok all through the house.
Until the teacher appeared, the children were running amok in the classroom.
deBis der Lehrer kam, spielten die Kinder in der Klasse verrückt. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
The police acted very fast in capturing the mad man who ran amok with an axe.
Origin
Borrowed from Portuguese amouco, from Malay amuk (“to go on a killing spree”). The term fiBorrowed from Portuguese amouco, from Malay amuk (“to go on a killing spree”). The term first appeared in English around the 16th century, associated with the people of Malaysia and Java, first described in the 1516 text The Book of Duarte Barbosa, which was translated to English by Henry E. J. Stanley.
Borrowed from Khmer អាម៉ុក (ʼaamok, “to steam in banana leaves”).
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