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▪ I. pestilence, n. (adv.)|ˈpɛstɪləns|
Also 4–6 pestilens, -elence, 5 pestlens, 5–6 pestylens, -ylence, 6 -elens, 6–7 pestlence.
[a. F. pestilence, ad. L. pestilentia, n. of condition f. pestilent-em pestilent: see -ence.]
1. Any fatal epidemic disease, affecting man or beast, and destroying many victims.
1303R. Brunne Handl. Synne 1370 Yn Rome fyl a grete moreyne..A pestelens of men. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xx. 97 Many kene sores, As pokkes and pestilences. c1440Gesta Rom. xxxvii.* 360 (Add. MS.) In the Citee of Rome befille a grete pestilence of men and bestes. 1538Starkey England i. iii. 83 Lyke as a pestylens..destroyth a grete nombur of the pepul wythout regard of any person had, or degre. 1539Bible (Great) Ps. xc[i]. 6 The pestilence that walketh in darkness. 1548–9(Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Litany, From plage, pestilence, and famine,..Good lorde deliuer us. 1600J. Pory tr. Leo's Africa viii. 326 About an hundred yeeres ago, all the monks of this monasterie died of a pestilence. 1796H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) II. 485 Should a pestilence come, and sweep off one half of the people. 1845Budd Dis. Liver 394 In the winter of 1830–31..in some of the midland, eastern, and southern countries, where the pestilence was most rife, the existing race of sheep was almost entirely swept off. 1865Cornh. Mag. May 591 To be entitled to the name of pestilence, a disease must be unusually fatal, very rapid in its operation, and must destroy great numbers of victims.
b. spec. The bubonic plague, the plague par excellence; = pest 1.
[1350–1Rolls of Parlt. II. 225/2 Et puis en cea ad il este destourbe, primes per la dit Pestilence.] 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. x. 185 Mony peire seþþen þe pestilence han pliht hem togedere. 1466in Archæologia (1887) L. i. 50 Men and women and children ȝonge and olde of other parissches than ther owne infecte in pestilence the which sekenes euery man escheweth. 1556Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden) 6 This yere was the iij. great pestelens. Ibid. 22 [Edw. IV] xvijo... Thys yere..was..the terme deferrd from Ester to Myhylmas be cause of the grete pestelens. 1564W. Bullein Dial. agst. Pest. (1888) 8, I met with wagones..full laden with yong barnes, for fear of the blacke Pestilence. 1579Reg. Privy Council Scot. III. 229 The infectioun and plague of the pistolence. 1706Phillips, Pestilence or Plague, a Disease arising from an Infection in the Air, accompany'd with Blotches, Boils, and..other dreadful Symptoms. 1823Mrs. Markham Hist. Eng. xviii. (1853) 160 During the great pestilence he bought a piece of ground, which he gave for a burying-ground for those who died in London of that dreadful disease.
2. fig. That which is morally pestilent or pernicious; moral plague or mischief, evil conduct, wickedness; that which is fatal to the public peace or well-being. Now rare.
a1340Hampole Psalter i. 1 In þe chaiere of pestilens he noght sate. c1374Chaucer Boeth. iv. met. iii. 95 (Camb. MS.) Mercurie..hath vnbownded hym fro the pestelence of his oostesse [Circes]. 1406Hoccleve Misrule 260 O flaterie! o lurkyng pestilence! 1577J. Northbrooke Dicing (1843) 97 Such players of enterludes..are so noysome a pestilence to infect a common wealth. 1604Shakes. Oth. ii. iii. 362 Ile powre this pestilence into his eare. 1634Documents agst. Prynne (Camden) 6 Clemens Alexandrinus, Tertullian, and Ste Chrisostome, call playe howses the state of pestilence. 1875Manning Mission H. Ghost ix. 258 The fashions of the day, the pestilence of bad literature.
†3. That which plagues, injures, or troubles in any way; a cause of trouble or injury; a plague.
c1374Chaucer Boeth. i. pr. iv. 8 (Camb. MS.), For þat the gouernementus of Citees..ne sholde nat bryngen in pestelence and destruccion to goode fookk. 1456Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 3 [To] put this travailland warld in pes and rest that now is put in grete pestilence. 1538Starkey England i. iv. 106 In no cuntrey may be any grettur pestylens..then cyuyle warre. 1555Eden Decades 274 [Norway] hath also a peculiar pestilence which they caule Leem or Lemmer..a lyttle foure footed beaste abowte the byggenesse of a ratte with a spotted skynne.
†4. As an imprecation: a pestilence on or upon{ddd}! may a plague or mischief light upon{ddd}! Cf. pest 1 b, devil 17, plague. the pestilence of (a penny), not a penny: cf. devil 21, fiend 2 b. with a pestilence, with a vengeance, so as to plague or trouble, much more than one wishes. Obs.
c1386Chaucer Nun's Pr. T. 590 A verray pestilence vp-on yow falle. 1568North Gueuara's Diall Pr. iv. viii. 129 The pestilens of penny he hath in his purse to blesse him with. 1594Nashe Unfort. Trav. F ij, He interpreted to vs with a pestilence. 1594Greene & Lodge Looking Glasse G.'s Wks. (Rtldg.) 120/1 We..clap a plaster to him, with a pestilence, that mends him with a very vengeance. 1602Shakes. Ham. v. i. 196 A pestlence on him for a mad Rogue! 1612Chapman Widow's Tears ii. D j b, Has giuen me a Bone to tire on with a pestilence.
5. attrib. and Comb., as pestilence ill, pestilence planet, pestilence time; pestilence-bringer, pestilence-causer; pestilence-laden, pestilence-stricken adjs.; pestilence-weed, Dr. Prior's name for pestilence-wort.
1362Langl. P. Pl. A. xi. 59 To plese with þis proude men seþþe pestilence tyme. c1475Pict. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 801/30 Hic saturnus, a pestlens planyt. 1552Huloet, Pestilence brynger or causer, fatifer, pestifer. 1819Shelley Ode West Wind i. 5 Pestilence-stricken multitudes. 1899Month Mar. 300 Striking across pestilence-laden swamps.
†B. as adv. ‘Plaguy’, ‘pesky’, ‘tarnation’. colloq.
1614B. Jonson Barth. Fair ii. i, The Fair's pestilence dead methinks. 1633― Tale of Tub iv. ii, Diogenes. A mighty learned man, but pestilence poor.
▪ II. † ˈpestilence, v. Obs.
[f. prec.]
trans. To make pestilent, infect with disease. Also fig.
1593Nashe Christ's T. (1613) 151 From our redolentest refined compositions, ayre pestilenzing stinkes..shall issue. 1598Tofte Alba (1880) 96 Loue (pestilenzing) doth infect my Soule. |