plague

plague
\ \ [14] Etymologically, plague means a ‘blow’ or ‘stroke’. It goes back to the same prehistoric base, *plag- ‘hit’, as produced Latin plangerebeat’ (source of English complain, plaintiff [14], plaintive [14], and plangent [19] – which originally denoted the sound of waves ‘beating’ against the shore) and English plankton. From this was derived Greek plāgáblow’, which was borrowed into Latin as plāgablow’, hence ‘wound’. In the Vulgate it was used for an ‘infectious disease’, and was borrowed in this sense (as well as the now defunct ‘blow’) via Old French into English. (*Plak-, a parallel form to *plag-, lies behind English apoplexy and plectrum [17].)
\ \ Cf.APOPLEXY, COMPLAIN, PLAINTIVE, PLANGENT, PLANKTON, PLECTRUM

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Plague — may refer to:In medicine: * Plague (disease), a specific disease caused by Yersinia pestis . There are three major manifestations ** Bubonic plague ** Septicemic plague ** Pneumonic plague * Any bubo causing disease * A pandemic caused by such a… …   Wikipedia

  • Plague — Plague, n. [L. plaga a blow, stroke, plague; akin to Gr. ?, fr. ? 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 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • plague — [plāg] n. [ME plage < MFr < L plaga, a blow, misfortune, in LL(Ec), plague < Gr plēgē, plaga < IE * plaga, a blow < base * plag , to strike > FLAW2] 1. anything that afflicts or troubles; calamity; scourge 2. any contagious… …   English World dictionary

  • Plague — Plague, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Plagued}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Plaguing}.] 1. To infest or afflict with disease, calamity, or natural evil of any kind. [1913 Webster] Thus were they plagued And worn with famine. Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. Fig.: To vex;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • plague — plague; plague·some; pseu·do·plague; …   English syllables

  • plague — [n1] disease that is widespread affliction, contagion, curse, epidemic, hydra, infection, infestation, influenza, invasion, outbreak, pandemic, pestilence, rash, ravage, scourge; concept 306 plague [n2] annoyance, curse affliction, aggravation,… …   New thesaurus

  • plague — I verb afflict, aggravate, aggrieve, annoy, badger, bait, bedevil, beset, bother, browbeat, bullyrag, cross, devil, discommode, discompose, displease, disquiet, distress, disturb, exagitare, exasperate, exercere, fret, gall, gibe, grate, harry,… …   Law dictionary

  • plague — vb pester, tease, tantalize, harry, harass, *worry, annoy Analogous words: gall, fret, chafe (see ABRADE): *bait, badger, hector, hound, ride: torment, *afflict, try Contrasted words: *relieve, mitigate, lighten, assuage, alleviate …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • plague — ► NOUN 1) a contagious disease spread by bacteria and characterized by fever and delirium. 2) an unusually and unpleasantly large quantity of insects or animals. ► VERB (plagues, plagued, plaguing) 1) cause continual trouble or distress to. 2) …   English terms dictionary

  • plague — plaguer, n. /playg/, n., v., plagued, plaguing. 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,… …   Universalium

  • Plague — The plague is an infectious disease due to a bacteria called Yersinia pestis. Y. pestis mainly infects rats and other rodents. Rodents are the prime reservoir for the bacteria. Fleas function as the prime vectors carrying the bacteria from one… …   Medical dictionary

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