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| plague [ playg ] |
noun (plural plagues) |
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| Definition: |
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1. med epidemic disease: a disease that spreads rapidly through a population, killing a great many people, or an outbreak of such a disease
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2. med
Same as bubonic plague
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3. appearance of something in large numbers: a sudden appearance or outbreak of something unpleasant in very large numbers or with unusual frequency
  a plague of locusts
a plague of violence
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4. somebody or something troublesome: an affliction or extremely troublesome or annoying person or thing
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transitive verb (past and past participle plagued, present participle plagu·ing, 3rd person present singular plagues) |
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| Definition: |
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1. afflict somebody: to cause somebody severe and lasting distress, difficulty, or other affliction
Falling prices and drought plagued the cattle industry.
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2. annoy somebody constantly: to persistently harass or annoy somebody
plagued him with requests for autographs
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| [14th century. < Latin plaga "blow, stroke, wound"] |
