pest-house

A patient is taken to the pest-house for isolation and care.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A hospital for people with infectious diseases: "pest-house" refers to a facility, often historical, used to isolate and treat individuals suffering from contagious illnesses, especially during epidemics such as plague or cholera.

Usage Examples

• (A hospital for those with infectious diseases.)
• (A historical building used for quarantine and treatment.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be sent to the pest-house": to be forcibly isolated due to a contagious disease.

  • In the 17th century, anyone showing symptoms of the plague was sent to the pest-house. (They were quarantined in a specialized facility.)

• "pest-house regulations": rules governing the operation of such facilities.

  • The pest-house regulations required strict sanitation and limited visitation. (Rules for managing infectious disease hospitals.)

Variants and Related Words

• Pestilence (n): a fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague.

  • The pestilence swept through the city, filling the pest-house to capacity. (A deadly outbreak.)

• Pesthouse (n): an alternative spelling, less common.

  • The records show the pesthouse was built in 1720. (Same meaning as pest-house.)

Synonyms

• Lazaretto: a quarantine station for maritime travellers.
• Infirmary: a hospital or place for the care of the sick, though not specific to infectious diseases.

Related Idioms

• No direct idioms: The term "pest-house" is primarily historical and literal, without common figurative idioms. However, it may appear in historical contexts:
  • "Avoid that place like a pest-house": to avoid a location perceived as dangerous or disease-ridden.

    • After the outbreak, locals avoided the market like a pest-house. (They stayed away due to fear of infection.)