Definition of plague
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a disastrous evil or affliction : calamity
b
: a destructively numerous influx or multiplication of a noxious animal : infestation
a plague of locusts
2a
: 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
3a
: a cause of irritation : nuisance
b
: a sudden unwelcome outbreak
a plague of burglaries
plague
verb
plagued; plaguing
Definition of plague (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to smite, infest, or afflict with or as if with disease, calamity, or natural evil
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for plague
The first known use of plague was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century