bubonic plague: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2formal, historical, medical/technical
Quick answer
What does “bubonic plague” mean?
A severe and often fatal infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, characterized by fever, chills, weakness, and the painful swelling of lymph nodes called buboes.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A severe and often fatal infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, characterized by fever, chills, weakness, and the painful swelling of lymph nodes called buboes.
The specific form of plague known for its association with pandemics, most notably the Black Death of the 14th century. It is used metaphorically to describe something that spreads rapidly and destructively.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Pronunciation differs slightly.
Connotations
Identical strong historical and medical connotations.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both dialects, confined to historical, medical, or metaphorical contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “bubonic plague” in a Sentence
The bubonic plague + verb (spread, killed, ravaged, struck)suffer from + the bubonic plaguean outbreak of + the bubonic plagueVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bubonic plague” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The population was bubonic-plagued by the outbreak.
- The region was bubonic-plagued for decades.
American English
- The town was bubonic-plagued in the 1600s.
adjective
British English
- The bubonic-plague symptoms were unmistakable.
- A bubonic-plague outbreak devastated the village.
American English
- Researchers studied bubonic-plague transmission.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possible in metaphorical sense: 'Rumours of bankruptcy spread through the company like the bubonic plague.'
Academic
Common in history, medicine, and epidemiology papers discussing pandemics, disease vectors (fleas on rats), and medieval society.
Everyday
Very rare except in historical discussion or as a hyperbolic metaphor for something undesirable that spreads quickly.
Technical
Core term in medicine and epidemiology for the specific disease caused by Yersinia pestis, distinguishing it from pneumonic or septicemic plague.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bubonic plague”
Strong
Neutral
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bubonic plague”
- Misspelling as 'bubonic plague' (wrong), 'bubonic plaque' (dental).
- Using it as a general term for any severe illness instead of its specific historical/medical meaning.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but it is rare and treatable with modern antibiotics. Isolated cases still occur in various parts of the world.
'Bubonic plague' is the name of the specific disease. 'The Black Death' is the name given to the major pandemic of that disease which swept through Eurasia in the 14th century.
It comes from the word 'bubo', meaning a swollen, inflamed lymph node, which is a hallmark symptom of this form of plague.
Typically, no. Bubonic plague is usually spread via the bite of an infected flea. Person-to-person transmission is associated with other forms, like pneumonic plague.
A severe and often fatal infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, characterized by fever, chills, weakness, and the painful swelling of lymph nodes called buboes.
Bubonic plague is usually formal, historical, medical/technical in register.
Bubonic plague: in British English it is pronounced /bjuːˌbɒn.ɪk ˈpleɪɡ/, and in American English it is pronounced /buːˌbɑː.nɪk ˈpleɪɡ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Metaphorical] Spread like the bubonic plague.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'Buboes' are the swollen bumps; 'bubonic' plague gives you buboes.
Conceptual Metaphor
A RAPIDLY SPREADING DISEASE IS A PLAGUE (used for ideas, rumours, or negative phenomena).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary vector for the transmission of bubonic plague?