plague Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun 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 animal
pestilence; pestis; pest.
noun any epidemic disease with a high death rate
pestilence; pest.
noun a swarm of insects that attack plants
infestation.
- a plague of grasshoppers
noun any large scale calamity (especially when thought to be sent by God)
noun an annoyance
- those children are a damn plague
verb cause to suffer a blight
blight.
- Too much rain may blight the garden with mold
verb annoy continually or chronically
beset; chivy; chevy; chevvy; harass; hassle; chivvy; harry; molest; provoke.
- He is known to harry his staff when he is overworked
- This man harasses his female co-workers

L. plaga a blow, stroke, plague; akin to Gr. , fr. to strike; cf. L. plangere to strike, beat. Cf. Plaint.

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. Shak.
(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.

imperfect & past participle Plagued ; present participle & verbal noun Plaguing

To infest or afflict with disease, calamity, or natural evil of any kind.
Thus were they plagued And worn with famine. Milton.
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.