murrain
/'mʌrin/
Definition
- Noun:
- A highly infectious and often fatal disease affecting cattle or other domestic animals: "Murrain" refers to any of various infectious diseases of livestock, particularly those with plague-like symptoms such as high fever and rapid mortality.
- (Archaic) A plague or pestilence: Historically, the term was used more broadly to denote any destructive plague or blight.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The village lost half its herd to a devastating murrain. (The village lost half its herd to a devastating cattle plague.)
- Ancient texts describe seasons of famine followed by murrain. (Ancient texts describe seasons of famine followed by livestock disease.)
Advanced Usage
- Used in archaic curses or imprecations: In older English, "murrain" was used in exclamations to express anger or condemnation.
- "A murrain on you!" (A plague upon you!)
Variants and Related Words
- Pestilence (n): A fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague.
- Epizootic (n): A disease outbreak affecting many animals of one kind at the same time.
Synonyms
- Cattle plague
- Rinderpest (a specific viral disease, now eradicated, that was a classic example of murrain)
- Livestock epidemic
Related Idioms
- (Archaic) "A murrain on/upon...": An old curse wishing a plague upon someone or something.
- "A murrain on this rusty sword!" (A plague on this rusty sword!)
Noun
-
any disease of domestic animals that resembles a plague
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ chứa "murrain"
