Plague

Noun

 * 1) (used absolutely, usually capitalized: The Pest) The pestilent disease "Plague", caused by the virulent bacterium Yersinia pestis and mostly known by its variant form bubonic plague.
 * 2)  An epidemic or pandemic caused by any pestilence, but specifically by the above disease.
 * 3) A widespread affliction, calamity or destructive influx, especially when seen as divine retribution.
 * Ten Biblical plagues over Egypt, ranging from locusts to the death of the crown prince, finally forced Pharaoh to let Moses's people go
 * 1) A grave nuisance, whatever greatly irritates
 * ''Rascal Bart is an utter plague, his pranks never cease until he's put over the knee

Synonyms

 * pest

Derived terms

 * plaguesome
 * plaguey

Verb

 * 1)  To harass, pester or annoy someone persistently or incessantly.
 * Wikis are often plagued by vandalism
 * 1)  To afflict with a disease or other calamity.
 * ''Natural catastrophies plagued the colonists till they abandoned the pestilent marshland

Derived terms

 * plaguer

Thesaurus
afflict, affliction, aggravate, aggravation, ail, ambulatory plague, anguish, annoy, annoyance, apply pressure, badger, bait, bane, be at, be the matter, bedevil, beleaguer, beset, besiege, bevy, bitch, black death, black plague, blandish, blight, bother, bristle, brown off, bubonic plague, bug, bugbear, bullyrag, burden, burn up, buttonhole, cajole, calamity, cellulocutaneous plague, chafe, charm, chevy, chivy, cloud, coax, complicate matters, concern, covey, crawl with, creep with, crushing burden, curse, death, defervescing plague, destruction, devil, discommode, discompose, disease, distemper, distress, disturb, dog, drag, dun, epidemic, epiphytotic, epizootic, evil, exasperate, exercise, exert pressure, fash, flight, flock, fret, gaggle, gall, get, glandular plague, gnaw, grievance, gripe, harass, harm, harry, hassle, haunt, headache, heckle, hector, hemorrhagic plague, hive, hound, importune, inconvenience, infest, infestation, infliction, invade, invasion, irk, irritate, irritation, larval plague, lousiness, miff, molest, murmuration, murrain, nag, nag at, needle, nemesis, nettle, nudzh, nuisance, open wound, overrun, overrunning, overspread, overspreading, overswarm, overswarming, pandemia, pandemic, peeve, perplex, persecute, perturb, pest, pester, pesthole, pestilence, pick on, pique, plague spot, pluck the beard, ply, pneumonic plague, pother, premonitory plague, press, pressure, provoke, push, put out, put to it, puzzle, ravage, ride, rile, roil, ruffle, running sore, scourge, septicemic plague, siderating plague, skein, spring, swarm, swarm with, swarming, tease, teeming, thorn, torment, torture, trouble, try the patience, tuberculosis, tweak the nose, urge, vex, vexation, visitation, watch, wheedle, white plague, woe, work on, worry