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Webster 1913 Edition


Plague

Plague

,
Noun.
[L.
plaga
a blow, stroke, plague; akin to Gr. [GREEK], fr. [GREEK] to strike; cf. L.
plangere
to strike, beat. Cf.
Plaint
.]
1.
That which smites, wounds, or troubles; a blow; a calamity; any afflictive evil or torment; a great trail or vexation.
Shak.
And men blasphemed God for the
plague
of hail.
Wyclif.
The different
plague
of each calamity.
Shakespeare
2.
(Med.)
An acute malignant contagious fever, that often prevails in Egypt, Syria, and Turkey, and has at times visited the large cities of Europe with frightful mortality; hence, any pestilence;
as, the great London
plague
.
“A plague upon the people fell.”
Tennyson.
Cattle plague
.
Plague mark
,
Plague spot
,
a spot or mark of the plague; hence, a token of something incurable.

Plague

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Plagued
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Plaguing
.]
1.
To infest or afflict with disease, calamity, or natural evil of any kind.
Thus were they
plagued

And worn with famine.
Milton.
2.
Fig.: To vex; to tease; to harass.
She will
plague
the man that loves her most.
Spenser.
Syn. – To vex; torment; distress; afflict; harass; annoy; tease; tantalize; trouble; molest; embarrass; perplex.

Webster 1828 Edition


Plague

PLAGUE

,
Noun.
plag. [L. plaga, a stroke; Gr. See Lick and Lay. The primary sense is a stroke or striking. So afflict is from the root of flog, and probably of the same family as plague.]
1.
Any thing troublesome or vexatious; but in this sense, applied to the vexations we suffer from men, and not to the unavoidable evils inflicted on us by Divine Providence. The application of the word to the latter, would now be irreverent and reproachful.
2.
A pestilential disease; an acute, malignant and contagious disease that often prevails in Egypt, Syria and Turkey, and has at times infected the large cities of Europe with frightful mortality.
3.
A state of misery. Ps.38.
4.
Any great natural evil or calamity; as the ten plagues of Egypt.

PLAGUE

,
Verb.
T.
plag.
1.
To infest with disease, calamity or natural evil of any kind.
Thus were they plagued
And worn with famine.
2.
To vex; to tease; to harass; to trouble; to embarrass; a very general and indefinite signification.
If her nature be so,
That she will plague the man that loves her most--

Definition 2024


plague

plague

See also: plagué

English

Noun

plague (plural plagues)

  1. (often used with the, sometimes capitalized: the Plague) The bubonic plague, the pestilent disease caused by the virulent bacterium Yersinia pestis.
  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
    Bart is an utter plague; his pranks never cease.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

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.
    • 2015 April 15, Jonathan Martin, “For a Clinton, It’s Not Hard to Be Humble in an Effort to Regain Power”, in The New York Times:
      Just as Mr. Clinton began a comeback with a down-home plea for forgiveness, Mrs. Clinton now seems determined to prove, perhaps to the point of overcompensation, that she will not repeat the mistakes that plagued her 2008 campaign.
  2. (transitive) To afflict with a disease or other calamity.
    Natural catastrophes plagued the colonists till they abandoned the pestilent marshland.

Derived terms

Translations


Spanish

Verb

plague

  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.