Main Entry:

¹plague

Pronunciation:

\ˈplāg\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English plage, from Late Latin plaga, from Latin, blow; akin to Latin plangere to strike — more at plaint

Date:

14th century

1 a: a disastrous evil or affliction : calamity b: a destructively numerous influx <a plague of locusts>2 a: an epidemic disease causing a high rate of mortality : pestilence b: a virulent contagious febrile disease that is caused by a bacterium (Yersinia pestis) and that occurs in bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic forms —called also black death3 a: a cause of irritation : nuisance b: a sudden unwelcome outbreak <a plague of burglaries>