1. (

• plague ,
• pestilence ,
• pest ,
• pestis ,

) 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 ;

2. (

• plague ,
• pestilence ,
• pest

) any epidemic disease with a high death rate ;

3. (

• pest ,
• blighter ,
• cuss ,
• pesterer ,
• gadfly

) a persistently annoying person ;

4. (

• pest

) 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" ;