I. ˈplāg chiefly dial ˈpleg noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English plage, from Middle French, from Late Latin plaga, from Latin, blow, wound, misfortune — more at plaint
1.
a. : a disastrous evil or affliction : calamity , scourge
rebel regiments were a plague upon the country, robbing, burning and committing every conceivable outrage — Kenneth Roberts
the numbers racket and the dope plague thrive — Herman Kogan
— often used interjectionally to express annoyance or impatience
a plague o' both your houses — Shakespeare
plague take it, what's keeping that boy
b. : a destructively numerous influx or multiplication of a noxious animal : infestation
plague of swarming locusts
tremendous plagues of rats have devastated the rice fields — J.F.Embree & W.L.Thomas
a plague of leafworms destroyed a large part of the crops — American Guide Series: Texas
2.
a. : an epidemic disease causing a high rate of mortality : pestilence
a plague of cholera
the great plague diseases … are rapidly approaching extinction — A.C.Morrison
b. : an acute contagious febrile disease caused by a bacterium ( Pasteurella pestis ), occurring in several forms, and usually transmitted (as bubonic plague) from rats to man by the bite of infected fleas or directly (as pneumonic plague) from person to person — compare black death
3.
a. : a cause of irritation or distress : nuisance , harassment
having … been her husband's plague because of the violence of her temper — W.B.Yeats
wild dogs are a … plague to squatters — Rachel Henning
b. : a sudden unwelcome increase or prevalence : outbreak
a plague of broken dishes in the cafeteria — Stuart Chase
a plague of hot-dog stands and cheap amusements — American Guide Series: New York City
a plague of burglaries
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1.
a. : to afflict with evil or calamity : scourge , torment
mass poverty and unemployment continued to plague the nation — F.L.Schuman
b. : to infect with a plague
diseases that plague mankind — Wall Street Journal
a disease that plagues watermelons — Jane Nickerson
2.
a.
(1) : to cause worry or distress to : trouble , harass
debts … plagued her after her husband's death — Ruth P. Randall
back trouble … had been plaguing him increasingly in recent weeks — A.C.Spectorsky
outmoded notions about race … still plague this nation — Bradford Smith
(2) : to slow up or put at a disadvantage : hamper , handicap
construction of the power plant … has been plagued by bad weather — Annual Report of Illinois Power Co.
a series of injuries plagued the team
the traffic detour … which has plagued motorists — Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily News
: burden
the dance of today is plagued with exotic … mannerisms — John Martin
b. : to disturb or annoy persistently : bother , nag
she talked, she wrote, she plagued him — Elizabeth Janeway
something … every congressman is continually plagued to do by his constituents — Christian Science Monitor
Synonyms: see worry