Pest (Noun)
Meaning 1
Any epidemic disease with a high death rate.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The Black Death was a pest that ravaged Europe in the 14th century, killing millions of people.
- The bubonic plague was a pest that spread rapidly throughout the city, overwhelming the medical facilities.
- Smallpox was a pest that had been eradicated through vaccination, but the threat of its return still lingered.
- The influenza pandemic of 1918 was a pest that killed more people than World War I, leaving a devastating impact on the world.
- The Ebola outbreak was a pest that spread fear and panic throughout the region, prompting a massive response from health officials.
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Hypernyms
Meaning 2
A persistently annoying person.
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Examples
- Her little brother was such a pest, always tagging along and getting in the way.
- The telemarketer was a pest, calling every night and refusing to take no for an answer.
- My neighbor is a pest, always complaining about the noise and parking.
- The guy who kept hitting on me at the bar was a pest, and I had to ask the bartender to intervene.
- My coworker is a pest, always micromanaging and questioning my every move.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 3
Any unwanted and destructive insect or other animal that attacks food or crops or livestock etc.; "he sprayed the garden to get rid of pests"; "many pests have developed resistance to the common pesticides".
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- Farmers have to deal with pests such as aphids and whiteflies that can destroy their crops.
- The pesticide was effective in eliminating the pests that were eating away at the plants.
- Rodents are considered pests in many areas because of the damage they cause to buildings and crops.
- The ants were a pest in the kitchen, getting into all the sweet foods and leaving trails behind.
- The gardener set up traps to catch the pests that were eating her vegetables.
Hypernyms
Meaning 4
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.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The Black Death, caused by the bubonic pest, was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, killing millions of people in Europe in the 14th century.
- In the Middle Ages, the pest was a constant threat to human populations, especially in urban areas where sanitation was poor.
- The pest was introduced to Europe through trade routes, where infected fleas on rats and other rodents spread the disease to humans.
- Historians have long debated the social and economic impact of the pest on European society during the Middle Ages.
- Despite advances in medicine, the pest remains a public health concern in some parts of the world, particularly in areas with poor sanitation and lack of access to healthcare.