bubonic plague

noun

: plague caused by a bacterium (Yersinia pestis) and characterized especially by the formation of buboes

Examples of bubonic plague in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Untreated bubonic plague can turn into the more serious pneumonic plague, which causes rapidly developing pneumonia after bacteria spread to the lungs. Susan Scutti, CNN, 5 July 2024 That and, uh, a fight scene involving a tiger, a villain's latex face melting off, and a climax that saw Catwoman corralling her city's kitty population to ward off an army of rats carrying the bubonic plague. EW.com, 19 July 2024 From the bubonic plague at the end of the nineteenth century to HIV/AIDS in the 1990s to SARS in 2002–3, Western observers have long viewed China’s responses to epidemic crises as indices of its relative political and economic openness. Robert Peckham, Foreign Affairs, 27 Mar. 2020 Upon the onset of the Black Death in Italy, high-class nobles and their servants relocate to a countryside villa to await the end of the bubonic plague pandemic. Rendy Jones, EW.com, 27 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for bubonic plague 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bubonic plague.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bubonic plague was in 1803

Dictionary Entries Near bubonic plague

Cite this Entry

“Bubonic plague.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bubonic%20plague. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

bubonic plague

noun
: a form of plague that is spread especially from rats to humans by fleas and is marked by chills, fever, weakness, and buboes

Medical Definition

bubonic plague

noun
: plague caused by a bacterium of the genus Yersinia (Y. pestis synonym Pasteurella pestis) and characterized especially by the formation of buboes compare pneumonic plague
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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