plague

CEFRC1

/pleɪɡ/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A serious disease that spreads among many people or animals.

  2. 02

    verb

    To cause continued trouble or difficulties for someone.

Examples

  • More often than not, famine is accompanied by plague.

  • Bart is an utter plague; his pranks never cease.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • [pʰl̥eɪɡ]
  • [pʰɫ̥ɛːɡ]

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A widespread affliction, calamity, or destructive influx, especially when seen as divine retribution.

  2. An epidemic or pandemic caused by any pestilence, but especially that caused by the above disease.

  3. The bubonic plague, the pestilent disease caused by the virulent bacterium Yersinia pestis.

More examples

In context

  • Natural catastrophes plagued the colonists till they abandoned the pestilent marshland.

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

  • Rats carry the plague.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

In the 14th century, a deadly blank spread by fleas killed millions of Europeans.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English plage, borrowed from Old French plage, from Latin plāga (“blow, wound”), from plangō (“to strike”). Cognate with Middle Dutch plāghe (> Dutch plaag), plāghen (> Dutch plagen); Middle Low German plāge; Middle High German plāge, pflāge (> German Plage); plāgen (> German plagen); Swedish plåga; French plaie, Occitan plaga. Doublet of plaga. Displaced native Old English wōl.