wildfire

plural wildfires

1. countableuncountableA rapidly spreading fire, especially one occurring in a wildland area.

   Synonyms: forest fire

2. countablehistoricaluncountableGreek fire.
3. countableuncountabledermatologyA spreading disease of the skin, particularly erysipelas.
4. countablefigurativelyuncountableSomething that acts or spreads quickly and uncontrollably.

   “It was my own personal watch and I wanted to change the face,” she said in an interview during a recent business trip to New York. “I started wearing it, and it was wildfire — everybody wanted one.”

   2022 December 9, Rachel Felder, “These Timex Dials Were Designed With a Jeweler’s Eye”, in The New York Times

   1 more example

   So, it appears a revolution has happened and a very unexpected one. Of course it was only a matter of time before it happened. With WiFi connectivity spreading faster than wildfire and a laptop or tablet in one’s bag, what’s the point of a mobile nowadays?

   2015 January 18, Monty Munford, “What’s the point of carrying a mobile phone nowadays?”, in The Daily Telegraph