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pestilence

noun
 
 
/ˈpes.tɪ.ləns/ US  /-təl.ənts/

Definition

[C or U] formal any very serious infectious disease that spreads quickly and kills large numbers of peopleFevers and infectious diseasesColds and flu [S] a serious and growing problem: The report states that vandalism is a pestilence which must be stamped out.Difficult situations and unpleasant experiencesAccidents and disasters
(Definition of pestilence noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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