plague

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Plague

Wikipedia

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Middle English plage < Latin plāga (“‘blow, wound’”) < plangere (“‘to strike’”). Cognate with Dutch plaag, German Plage, Swedish plåga, French plaie and Polish plaga.

[edit] Pronunciation

• enPR: plāg, IPA: /pleɪɡ/, SAMPA: /pleIg/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

  Rhymes: -eɪɡ

[edit] Noun

plague (plural plagues)

1. (used absolutely, usually capitalized: The Pest) The pestilent disease "Plague", caused by the virulent bacterium Yersinia pestis and mostly known by its variant form bubonic plague.
2. (pathology) An epidemic or pandemic caused by any pestilence, but specifically by the above disease.
3. A widespread affliction, calamity or destructive influx, especially when seen as divine retribution.

   Ten Biblical plagues over Egypt, ranging from locusts to the death of the crown prince, finally forced Pharaoh to let Moses's people go

4. A grave nuisance, whatever greatly irritates

   Rascal Bart is an utter plague, his pranks never cease until he's put over the knee

[edit] Synonyms

• pest

[edit] Derived terms

• plaguesome
• plaguey

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to plague (third-person singular simple present plagues, present participle plaguing, simple past and past participle plagued)

1. (transitive) To harass, pester or annoy someone persistently or incessantly.

   Wikis are often plagued by vandalism

2. (transitive) To afflict with a disease or other calamity.

   Natural catastrophies plagued the colonists till they abandoned the pestilent marshland

[edit] Derived terms

• plaguer

[edit] Translations

[edit] Spanish

[edit] Verb

plague (infinitive: plagar)

1. first-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of plagar.
2. formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of plagar.
3. third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of plagar.