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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While fleas, rats, and global trade played a major role, no single organism or action allowed the bubonic plague (Yersinia pestis) to wreak havoc during the 14th century. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2025 That doesn’t sound like an outbreak of the highly transmittable bubonic plague. James Shapiro, The Atlantic, 1 Dec. 2025 As was true for most villages in Elizabethan England, eventually the bubonic plague comes calling. Nathan Smith, Time, 26 Nov. 2025 During the 14th century a deadly disease called the bubonic plague struck and spread rapidly throughout Europe and Asia. Michael A. Little, The Conversation, 17 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bubonic plague

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

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

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Cite this Entry

“Bubonic plague.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bubonic%20plague. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.

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

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