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 death
3 a : a cause of irritation : nuisance b : a sudden unwelcome outbreak <a plague of burglaries>