- plague
- [[t]ple͟ɪg[/t]]
plagues, plaguing, plagued1) N-COUNT: oft supp N A plague is a very infectious disease that spreads quickly and kills large numbers of people.
A cholera plague had been killing many prisoners of war at the time.
Syn:2) N-UNCOUNT: also the N Plague or the plague is a very infectious disease which usually results in death. The patient has a severe fever and swellings on his or her body....a fresh outbreak of plague.
...illnesses such as smallpox, typhus and the plague.
3) N-COUNT: N of n A plague of unpleasant things is a large number of them that arrive or happen at the same time.The city is under threat from a plague of rats...
Last year there was a plague of robbery and housebreaking.
Syn:4) N-COUNT: usu sing If you describe something as a plague, you mean that it causes a great deal of trouble or harm.Inflation will remain a recurrent plague...
Tim seems to have escaped the cynicism which is the absolute plague of our generation.
Syn:5) VERB If you are plagued by unpleasant things, they continually cause you a lot of trouble or suffering.[be V-ed by n] She was plagued by weakness, fatigue, and dizziness...
[V n] Fears about job security plague nearly half the workforce.
6) VERB If someone plagues you, they keep bothering you or asking you for something.[V n with n] I'm not going to plague you with a lot more questions, Miss Culver...
[V n] Tommy Cook had been plaguing Pinner for months.
Syn:7) PHRASE: V inflects (emphasis) If you say that you avoid someone or something like the plague, you are emphasizing that you deliberately avoid them completely.I would avoid him like the plague when his wife and my parents were around...
I normally avoid cheap wine like the plague.
8) PHRASE: PHR n (feelings) You say a plague on a particular person or thing when you are very irritated by them and do not want to bother with them any more. [OLD-FASHIONED]A plague on you and your damned percentages!
English dictionary. 2008.
