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✊ Sick leave protest 🤒 Many out sick
sickout

sickout

1 7.4
Many people do not go to work or school because they are sick
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪkˌaʊt/
  • US
translation icon : ausentismo por enfermedad
  • A severe flu season led to a sickout that closed several offices for days.

Examples

  • During the sickout, numerous workers stayed home, leading to delays in production.

  • The hospital struggled to operate normally during the unexpected sickout among its staff.

  • After a sickout swept through the school, classes were canceled for the rest of the week.

  • The office experienced a sickout last week due to the flu.

  • Several teachers called in for a sickout yesterday.

  • Many employees were unable to report to work due to a widespread sickout caused by the flu.

  • The school district extended the academic year by a week to accommodate for the sickout that affected several classes.

Synonyms

sick-out
vssickout
7.7

Many people are absent from work or school because they are sick, causing big problems

assumes absences come from real illness rather than an organised protest

Antonyms

attendance
101 2.0

Being present at a meeting, class, or event

How Widespread

epidemic
300 4.6
sickout
  • US
1 7.4
sick leave
14 2.4

Surface Forms

sickout singular
sickouts plural

Morphology

sickout = sick (transparent) = out + sick

Clear compound of 'sick' + 'out' denoting absence due to illness; learners who know both components can infer this literal sense. [Postprocessing: moved 'out' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Sickout comes from joining sick ('ill') and out ('away from work'), giving a clear image of many people being 'ill' and not at work. So a sickout is when a large number of staff are absent because of real sickness.