What is the meaning of pestilence?

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.
  • Any epidemic disease with a high death rate.
  • A pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of.
    • usage: "racism is a pestilence at the heart of the nation"; "according to him, I was the canker in their midst"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). pestilence. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/pestilence/definitions/1213925
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "pestilence" http://smartdefine.org/pestilence/definitions/1213925 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, pestilence, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/pestilence/definitions/1213925>.
MLAWordNet. "pestilence" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/pestilence/definitions/1213925>
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