that which smites, wounds, or troubles; a blow; a calamity; any afflictive evil or torment; a great trail or vexation.-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.-to infest or afflict with disease, calamity, or natural evil of any kind.-fig.: to vex; to tease; to harass.