pestilence meaning and definition

PESTILENCE noun

Definition of pestilence (noun)

1. a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal
   • synonyms: pest, pestis, plague
2. any epidemic disease with a high death rate
   • synonyms: pest, plague
3. a pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of
   • "racism is a pestilence at the heart of the nation"; "according to him, I was the canker in their midst"
   • synonyms: canker