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peste

plague

noun PEHS-teh Rare

Origin: from Latin pestis

Also means

stench

Usage Note

Peste has two common senses: a deadly epidemic (especially bubonic plague, la peste bubónica) and a foul smell (¡qué peste! = what a stench!). The second sense is colloquial and widespread. The adjective pestilente covers only the odour sense; epidemia is the neutral medical term for the disease sense.

Examples

"La peste bubónica devastó Europa en el siglo XIV."

Natural Translation

The bubonic plague devastated Europe in the 14th century.

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