virgin soil epidemic

noun

An epidemic in which the populations at risk have had no previous contact with the disease and therefore have almost no immunological defence.

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Meanings

nounvirgin soil epidemic (plural virgin soil epidemics)

plural virgin soil epidemics

  1. An epidemic in which the populations at risk have had no previous contact with the disease and therefore have almost no immunological defence.

Origin

Coined by Alfred W. Crosby.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

virgin soil epidemic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/virgin%20soil%20epidemic

MLA

“virgin soil epidemic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/virgin%20soil%20epidemic. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “virgin soil epidemic,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/virgin%20soil%20epidemic.

Source: virgin soil epidemic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.