Meaning

noun an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety

noun sudden mass fear and anxiety over anticipated events

verb be overcome by a sudden fear

originThe adjective is borrowed from Middle French panique, a word itself borrowed from Ancient Greek πανικός (panikós, “pertaining to Pan”); Pan, the Greek god of fields and woods, was believed to be the source of mysterious sounds that caused contagious, groundless fear in herds and crowds, or in people in lonely spots. Adjective sense 3 (“pertaining to or resulting from overpowering fear or fright”)…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0