plague

Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

plague [plague plagues plagued plaguing] noun, verb BrE [pleɪɡ] NAmE [pleɪɡ]
noun
1. (also the plague)uncountable = ↑bubonic plague
•an outbreak of plague
2. countable any infectious disease that kills a lot of people
Syn: ↑epidemic
•the plague of AIDS
3. countable ~ of sth large numbers of an animal or insect that come into an area and cause great damage
•a plague of locusts/rats, etc.
see avoid sb/sth like the plague at ↑avoid

Word Origin:
late Middle English: Latin plaga ‘stroke, wound’, probably from Greek (Doric dialect) plaga, from a base meaning ‘strike’.

Example Bank:
•Fleas spread plague from animals to humans.
•Nearly a third of the population died in the Great Plague.
•The city is suffering a plague of rats.
•The region has just suffered a plague of locusts.
•a decline in population following outbreaks of plague

 
verb
1. ~ sb/sth (with sth) to cause pain or trouble to sb/sth over a period of time
Syn: ↑trouble
•to be plagued by doubt
•Financial problems are plaguing the company.
•The team has been plagued by injury this season.
2. ~ sb (with sth) to annoy sb or create problems, especially by asking for sth, demanding attention, etc.
Syn: ↑hound
•Rock stars have to get used to being plagued by autograph hunters.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
late Middle English: Latin plaga ‘stroke, wound’, probably from Greek (Doric dialect) plaga, from a base meaning ‘strike’.

Example Bank:
•Economic problems continued to plague the country.
•He has been plagued with leg injuries this season.

 

• Từ đồng nghĩa / Synonyms:
  infestation, pestilence, pest, pestis, blight