plague
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Related to plague: black plague, pneumonic plague
plague
(plāg)n.
1.
a. A highly infectious epidemic disease, especially one with a high rate of fatality; a pestilence.
b. A virulent, infectious disease that is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (syn. Pasteurella pestis) and is transmitted primarily by the bite of fleas from an infected rodent, especially a rat. In humans it occurs in bubonic form, marked by lymph node enlargement, and in pneumonic form, marked by infection of the lungs, and can progress to septicemia.
2.
a. A widespread affliction or calamity seen as divine retribution.
b. An influx or large number of destructive or unwanted things, especially animals: "The vines flourished, the only problem being a plague of jackrabbits" (Paul Lukacs).
c. Something that causes persistent hardship, trouble, or annoyance: "The plague of every funnyman's success is that deep down, almost everyone thinks they know forty guys funnier" (Ross Vachon).
tr.v. plagued, plagu·ing, plagues
1. To pester or annoy persistently or incessantly. See Synonyms at harass.
2.
a. To cause suffering or hardship for: "Runaway inflation further plagued the wage- or salary-earner" (Edwin O. Reischauer).
b. To be a widespread or continuous problem or defect in: Confusing jargon plagues the entire subject.
[Middle English plage, blow, calamity, plague, from Late Latin plāga, from Latin, blow, wound; see plāk-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots. V., Middle English plaghen, from Middle Dutch, from plaghe, plague, from Late Latin plāga.]
plagu′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
plague
(pleɪɡ)n
1. (Pathology) any widespread and usually highly contagious disease with a high fatality rate
2. (Pathology) an infectious disease of rodents, esp rats, transmitted to man by the bite of the rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis)
3. (Pathology) See bubonic plague
4. something that afflicts or harasses
5. informal an annoyance or nuisance
6. (Bible) a pestilence, affliction, or calamity on a large scale, esp when regarded as sent by God
7. archaic used to express annoyance, disgust, etc: a plague on you.
vb (tr) , plagues, plaguing or plagued
8. to afflict or harass
9. to bring down a plague upon
10. informal to annoy
[C14: from Late Latin plāga pestilence, from Latin: a blow; related to Greek plēgē a stroke, Latin plangere to strike]
ˈplaguer n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
plague
(pleɪg)n., v. plagued, pla•guing. n.
1. an epidemic disease that causes high mortality; pestilence.
2. an infectious, epidemic disease caused by a bacterium, Yersinia pestis, characterized by fever, chills, and prostration, transmitted to humans from rats by means of the bites of fleas. Compare bubonic plague.
3. any widespread affliction, calamity, or evil.
4. any cause of trouble, annoyance, or vexation.
v.t. 5. to trouble, annoy, or torment in any manner.
6. to smite with a plague or pestilence.
7. to cause an epidemic in or among.
8. to afflict with any evil.
[1350–1400; Middle English plage < Late Latin plāga pestilence, Latin: stripe, wound]
pla′guer, n.
syn: See bother.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
plague
(plāg)1. Any highly infectious, usually fatal epidemic disease.
2. An often fatal disease caused by a bacterium transmitted to humans usually by fleas that have bitten infected rats or other rodents. The most common form of plague is bubonic plague, though plague can also exist as a highly contagious form infecting the lungs and as an extremely severe form infecting the blood.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Plague
a group which, by their size, number, or nature, cause devastation or irritation.Examples: plague of confessors, 1604; of gnats, 1847; of hail, 1382; of infidels, 1596; of locusts, 1774; of brass money, 1855; of rain and water, 1548; of fell (foul) tempest, 1513.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
plague
Past participle: plagued
Gerund: plaguing
| Imperative |
|---|
| plague |
| plague |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  plague - a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animalepidemic disease - any infectious disease that develops and spreads rapidly to many people bubonic plague, glandular plague, pestis bubonica - the most common form of the plague in humans; characterized by chills, prostration, delirium and the formation of buboes in the armpits and groin; does not spread from person to person plague pneumonia, pneumonic plague, pulmonic plague - a rapidly progressive and frequently fatal form of the plague that can spread through the air from person to person; characterized by lung involvement with chill, bloody expectoration and high fever septicemic plague - an especially dangerous and generally fatal form of the plague in which infecting organisms invade the bloodstream; does not spread from person to person |
| 2. | plague - any epidemic disease with a high death rate epidemic disease - any infectious disease that develops and spreads rapidly to many people | |
| 3. | plague - a swarm of insects that attack plants; "a plague of grasshoppers" | |
| 4. | plague - any large scale calamity (especially when thought to be sent by God) calamity, catastrophe, tragedy, disaster, cataclysm - an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; "the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster" | |
| 5. | plague - an annoyance; "those children are a damn plague" bother, botheration, pain in the neck, infliction, annoyance, pain - something or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness; "washing dishes was a nuisance before we got a dish washer"; "a bit of a bother"; "he's not a friend, he's an infliction" colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech | |
| Verb | 1. |  plague - cause to suffer a blight; "Too much rain may blight the garden with mold" |
| 2. |  plague - annoy continually or chronically; "He is known to harry his staff when he is overworked"; "This man harasses his female co-workers"needle, goad - goad or provoke,as by constant criticism; "He needled her with his sarcastic remarks" annoy, devil, gravel, irritate, nark, rile, vex, nettle, rag, bother, chafe, get at, get to - cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations; "Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me"; "It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves" bedevil, dun, rag, torment, frustrate, crucify - treat cruelly; "The children tormented the stuttering teacher" haze - harass by imposing humiliating or painful tasks, as in military institutions |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
plague
noun
1. disease, infection, epidemic, contagion, pandemic, pestilence, lurgy (informal) A cholera plague had killed many prisoners of war.
2. infestation, invasion, epidemic, influx, host, swarm, multitude The city is under threat from a plague of rats.
verb
1. torment, trouble, pain, torture, haunt, afflict (informal) She was plagued by weakness, fatigue, and dizziness.
2. pester, trouble, bother, disturb, annoy, tease, harry, harass, hassle, fret, badger, persecute, molest, vex, bedevil, get on your nerves (informal), give someone grief (Brit. & S. African), be on your back (slang), get in your hair (informal) I'm not going to plague you with a lot of questions.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
plague
noun3. Something that annoys:
1. To disturb by repeated attacks:
2. To trouble persistently from or as if from all sides:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
طاعونعددٌ هائِلٌ منيُزْعِج، يُضايِق
mortrápitzáplavahejno
plagepestpestilensbølge
katkrändtaud
kiusatakulkutautiruttovaivatavitsaus
borzasztóan sokgyötörpestis
angraplágaplága, drepsótt
maras
mērismilzumsnelikt mierāordauzmākties
kuganadloga
plague
[pleɪg]A. N (= disease) → peste f (fig) → plaga f, fastidio m
a plague of rats → una plaga de ratas
the plague → la peste
to avoid sth/sb like the plague → huir de algo/algn como de la peste, evitar algo a toda costa
a plague of rats → una plaga de ratas
the plague → la peste
to avoid sth/sb like the plague → huir de algo/algn como de la peste, evitar algo a toda costa
B. VT (lit) → infestar (fig) → plagar; [+ person] → atormentar
the area is plagued with malaria → la zona está infestada de malaria
the thought has been plaguing me → la idea me viene atormentando
the project has been plagued with problems from the beginning → el proyecto se ha visto plagado de problemas desde el comienzo
a country plagued by recession → un país asolado por la recesión
to plague sb with questions → acosar a algn con preguntas
the area is plagued with malaria → la zona está infestada de malaria
the thought has been plaguing me → la idea me viene atormentando
the project has been plagued with problems from the beginning → el proyecto se ha visto plagado de problemas desde el comienzo
a country plagued by recession → un país asolado por la recesión
to plague sb with questions → acosar a algn con preguntas
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
plague
[ˈpleɪg] n
(MEDICINE) (bubonic) → peste f
the plague → la peste
to avoid sb like the plague → éviter qn comme la peste
to avoid sth like the plague → éviter qch comme la peste
the plague → la peste
to avoid sb like the plague → éviter qn comme la peste
to avoid sth like the plague → éviter qch comme la peste
(MEDICINE) (= epidemic) → épidémie f
(= large numbers) a plague of [rats, locusts] → une invasion de; [attacks, robberies] → une vague de
(= curse) → fléau m
vt
(= afflict) → empoisonner la vie de
Fears about job security plague nearly half the workforce → Les craintes sur la sécurité de l'emploi empoisonnent la vie de près de la moitié du personnel.
to be plagued by sth [+ problems, difficulties] → être assailli(e) par qch
The system is still plagued by technical faults → Le système est toujours affecté par des dysfonctionnements à répétition.; [+ illness]
She was plagued by fatigue and dizziness → Elle souffrait de fatigue et de vertiges chroniques.
to be plagued by doubts → être assailli(e) par le doute
Fears about job security plague nearly half the workforce → Les craintes sur la sécurité de l'emploi empoisonnent la vie de près de la moitié du personnel.
to be plagued by sth [+ problems, difficulties] → être assailli(e) par qch
The system is still plagued by technical faults → Le système est toujours affecté par des dysfonctionnements à répétition.; [+ illness]
She was plagued by fatigue and dizziness → Elle souffrait de fatigue et de vertiges chroniques.
to be plagued by doubts → être assailli(e) par le doute
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
plague
n (Med) → Seuche f; (Bibl, fig) → Plage f; the plague → die Pest; to avoid somebody/something like the plague → jdn/etw wie die Pest meiden; we’re suffering from a plague of crime → wir leiden unter einer wahren Flut an Verbrechen; a plague of reporters descended on the town → eine Horde von Reportern suchte die Stadt heim; a plague on him! (old) → die Pest möge über ihn kommen! (old)
vt → plagen; to plague the life out of somebody → jdn (bis aufs Blut) quälen, jdm das Leben schwer machen; to be plagued by doubts/injury → von Zweifeln/Verletzungen geplagt werden; to be plagued by bad luck → vom Pech verfolgt werden; to plague somebody with questions → jdn ständig mit Fragen belästigen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
plague
[pleɪg]Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
plague
(pleig) noun1. especially formerly, an extremely infectious and deadly disease, especially one carried by fleas from rats.
2. a large and annoying quantity. a plague of flies.
verb to annoy or pester continually or frequently. The child was plaguing her with questions.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
plague
n. peste.
peste bubónica, infección epidémica transmitida por la picadura de pulgas de ratas;
enfermedad epidémica que causa alta mortalidad.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
plague
n peste f; bubonic — peste bubónicaEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.