1. [n]  (informal) an annoyance; "those children are a damn plague"
2. [n]  any large scale calamity (especially when thought to be sent by God)
3. [n]  a swarm of insects that attack plants; "a plague of grasshoppers"
4. [n]  any epidemic disease with a high death rate
5. [n]  a serious (sometimes fatal) infection transmitted by the bite of an infected rat flea (especially bubonic plague)
6. [v]  annoy continually or chronically; "He is known to harry his staff when he is overworked"
7. [v]  cause to suffer a blight; "Too much rain may blight the garden with mold"

1. \Plague\, n. [L. plaga a blow, stroke, plague; akin to
   Gr. ?, fr. ? to strike; cf. L. plangere to strike, beat. Cf.
   {Plaint}.]
   1. That which smites, wounds, or troubles; a blow; a
      calamity; any afflictive evil or torment; a great trail or
      vexation. --Shak.
            And men blasphemed God for the plague of hail.
                                                  --Wyclif.
            The different plague of each calamity. --Shak.
   2. (Med.) An acute malignant contagious fever, that often
      prevails in Egypt, Syria, and Turkey, and has at times
      visited the large cities of Europe with frightful
      mortality; hence, any pestilence; as, the great London
      plague. ``A plague upon the people fell.'' --Tennyson.
   {Cattle plague}. See {Rinderpest}.
   {Plague mark}, {Plague spot}, a spot or mark of the plague;
      hence, a token of something incurable.
   

2. \Plague\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Plagued}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Plaguing}.]
   1. To infest or afflict with disease, calamity, or natural
      evil of any kind.
            Thus were they plagued And worn with famine.
                                                  --Milton.
   2. Fig.: To vex; to tease; to harass.
            She will plague the man that loves her most.
                                                  --Spenser.
   Syn: To vex; torment; distress; afflict; harass; annoy;
        tease; tantalize; trouble; molest; embarrass; perplex.
   

a "stroke" of affliction, or disease. Sent as a divine chastisement (Num. 11:33; 14:37; 16:46-49; 2 Sam. 24:21). Painful afflictions or diseases, (Lev. 13:3, 5, 30; 1 Kings 8:37), or severe calamity (Mark 5:29; Luke 7:21), or the judgment of God, so called (Ex. 9:14). Plagues of Egypt were ten in number.

(1.) The river Nile was turned into blood, and the fish died, and the river stank, so that the Egyptians loathed to drink of the river (Ex. 7:14-25).

(2.) The plague of frogs (Ex. 8:1-15).

(3.) The plague of lice (Heb. kinnim, properly gnats or mosquitoes; comp. Ps. 78:45; 105:31), "out of the dust of the land" (Ex. 8:16-19).

(4.) The plague of flies (Heb. arob, rendered by the LXX. dog-fly), Ex. 8:21-24.

(5.) The murrain (Ex.9:1-7), or epidemic pestilence which carried off vast numbers of cattle in the field. Warning was given of its coming.

(6.) The sixth plague, of "boils and blains," like the third, was sent without warning (Ex.9:8-12). It is called (Deut. 28:27) "the botch of Egypt," A.V.; but in R.V., "the boil of Egypt." "The magicians could not stand before Moses" because of it.

(7.) The plague of hail, with fire and thunder (Ex. 9:13-33). Warning was given of its coming. (Comp. Ps. 18:13; 105:32, 33).

(8.) The plague of locusts, which covered the whole face of the earth, so that the land was darkened with them (Ex. 10:12-15). The Hebrew name of this insect, _arbeh_, points to the "multitudinous" character of this visitation. Warning was given before this plague came.

(9.) After a short interval the plague of darkness succeeded that of the locusts; and it came without any special warning (Ex. 10:21-29). The darkness covered "all the land of Egypt" to such an extent that "they saw not one another." It did not, however, extend to the land of Goshen.

(10.) The last and most fearful of these plagues was the death of the first-born of man and of beast (Ex. 11:4, 5; 12:29,30). The exact time of the visitation was announced, "about midnight", which would add to the horror of the infliction. Its extent also is specified, from the first-born of the king to the first-born of the humblest slave, and all the first-born of beasts. But from this plague the Hebrews were completely exempted. The Lord "put a difference" between them and the Egyptians. (See PASSOVER.)