pest

¹

[ pest ]

noun

1. an annoying or troublesome person, animal, or thing; nuisance.

   Synonyms: annoyance

2. an insect or other small animal that harms or destroys garden plants, trees, etc.
3. a deadly epidemic disease, especially a plague; pestilence.

   Synonyms: epidemic, scourge, pandemic

Pest

²

[ pest; Hungarian pesht ]

noun

1. Budapest

pest

/ pɛst /

noun

1. a person or thing that annoys, esp by imposing itself when it is not wanted; nuisance
2. 1. any organism that damages crops, injures or irritates livestock or man, or reduces the fertility of land
   2. ( as modifier )

      pest control

3. rare.
   an epidemic disease or pestilence

Other Words From

• de-pest verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of pest¹

First recorded in 1545–55, pest is from the Latin word pestis plague

Word History and Origins

Origin of pest¹

C16: from Latin pestis plague, of obscure origin

Related Words

• blight
• bug
• contagion
• epidemic
• infection
• plague
• scourge
• virus