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 Its poignant impact is heightened by the knowledge that Titus would die in a wave of bubonic plague that swept through Amsterdam in 1668 — one year before Rembrandt himself died. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 17 June 2023 In 1349 alone, more than 40 percent of London’s residents died of the bubonic plague. Cody Cassidy, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2023 The mass grave and the presence of the bubonic plague, amazingly, may have just been a coincidence. Jackie Appel, Popular Mechanics, 7 June 2023 Symptoms of the bubonic plague often included large, swollen lymph nodes that oozed puss. Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2023 The bubonic plague triggered the 14th-century pandemic, which killed at least one-third of Europe’s population, writes the Guardian’s Ian Sample. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 June 2023 It is first recorded to have been used at Westminster Abbey in 1349, when the bubonic plague known as the Black Death was spreading across the country. Leila Sackur, NBC News, 6 May 2023 According to the Cleveland Clinic, the bubonic plague killed over 25 million people in Europe during the 14th century. Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2023 This is the same rat that wiped out half of Europe with the bubonic plague. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 13 Jan. 2023 See More

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 27 Sep. 2023.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!