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plague
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- pronunciation:
- pleIg
- features:
- Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition 1: |
Plague is a very serious disease that can be passed from one person to another. Plague is caused by certain bacteria.
People can get plague if they are bitten by a flea that carries plague bacteria. Fleas that carry plague bacteria get the bacteria from rats that are infected with the disease. |
| definition 2: |
When people talk about "the plague," they are usually talking about the terrible spreading of the disease of plague during the fourteenth century in Europe and Asia. The plague is sometimes called the "Black Death."
The plague was a very scary time in human history because of how many people died because of it. In Europe, the plague killed close to half of all the people.- similar words:
- pandemic
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| definition 3: |
Any very terrible thing that affects a large number of people in a certain area at the same time is often called a plague.
The crops were destroyed by a plague of insects.- similar words:
- epidemic
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| related words: |
curse, disease, worry |
| derivation: |
plaguer (n.) |
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