plague
11
5.6
- noun
- /pleɪɡ/
:
plaga
- The town struggled to recover from a plague of insects that devastated the gardens last summer.
- a plague of locusts
Examples
-
All we need now is a plague of locusts.
-
In the 1800s, it was a plague of rabbits here, and they ate all the vegetation, and the sand dunes began to advance.
-
Have you ever seen a plague of locusts?
-
A great plague infests our crops.
-
There was certainly no plague of tarantulas threatening the area as of yet.
Fiction book (1992) -
"Sounds like a plague of grasshoppers chewing a wheatfield," Martin said.
Fiction book (1994) -
Plagues of locusts everywhere.
-
Farmers dread a plague of locusts that can destroy their entire crop in days.
-
After the storm, a plague of invasive beetles appeared, threatening the local flora.
Synonyms
42
3.4
A large group of insects or people moving together without control
35
5.7
A large number of unwanted insects or animals living in a place and causing damage
1
5.5
A large group of locusts that move together and eat crops
Compounds
- Specialized
11
6.7
A serious disease that spreads and causes fever and painful swollen glands
4
6.4
A severe disease in the Middle Ages that spread across Europe and killed millions
- Specialized
1
9.2
A serious lung infection that spreads between people through the air
- Archaic
A very contagious disease of cattle that usually kills them with fever and severe diarrhea
- Archaic
A mild form of plague that allows the sick person to move and shows only light symptoms
- Specialized
A common illness that causes fever and painful swollen glands in the armpits or groin
- Specialized
A fast, often deadly lung infection that spreads through the air between people
- Specialized
A severe lung infection caused by bacteria that spreads through the air and often kills people
- Specialized
A very dangerous illness when bacteria enter the blood and do not spread between people, often deadly without antibiotics
How Numerous
11
5.6
35
5.7
Surface Forms
Etymology
Plague for insects uses the same idea from Latin plaga 'a blow' and pictures an attack on the land. That's why a large, destructive swarm of insects is called a plague.