panic¹ ◙ noun 1. [mass noun] sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behaviour • 恐慌；惊慌；慌乱 »she hit him in panic. 惊恐之中她打了他。 »[in sing.] he ran to the library in a blind panic. 他惊慌失措地跑向图书馆。 widespread financial or commercial apprehension provoking hasty action • （金融方面的）恐慌；经济恐慌 »he caused an economic panic by his sudden resignation. 他的突然辞职引起了一阵经济恐慌。 »[as modifier] panic selling. 恐慌抛售。 [informal] frenzied hurry to do something • [非正式] 极度匆忙；慌乱 ◙ (panicked, panicking) 1. [no obj.] be affected by panic • 感到恐慌；惊慌失措 »the crowd panicked and stampeded for the exit. 人群慌乱起来，涌向了出口。 [with obj.] cause to feel panic • 使恐慌 »talk of love panicked her. 关于爱情的谈话使她惶恐不安。 [with obj.] (panic someone into)drive or force someone through panic into (hasty or rash action) • 使（某人）慌张地采取（草率行动） »we are not going to be panicked into a decision. 我们决不会被吓得慌慌张张地做决定。
【IDIOMS】
◘ panic stations 1. [Brit. informal] a state of alarm or emergency • [英，非正式] 紧张状态 »many quite reasonable people were at panic stations because of popular unrest. 许多相当理智的人由于普遍的不安情绪也处于紧张状态。
【派生】
♦ panicky adjective
【语源】
1. early 17th cent.: 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 attributedpanic² ◙ (也作 panic grass), noun 1. [mass noun] any of a number of cereal and fodder grasses related to millet • 粟，稷，糜子 2. Panicum and related genera, family Gramineae • 黍属及相关属，禾本科
【语源】
1. late Middle English: from Latin panicum, from panus 'ear of millet' (literally 'thread wound on a bobbin'), based on Greek pēnos 'web', pēnion 'bobbin'