different between infection vs pestilence

English

Etymology

From Old French infection, from Vulgar Latin *infecti?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?f?k??n/
• Rhymes: -?k??n

Noun

infection (countable and uncountable, plural infections)

1. (pathology) The act or process of infecting.
2. An uncontrolled growth of harmful microorganisms in a host.
3. A disease caused by a pathogen.
4. A visible sign of such a disease, such as the suppuration of a wound.

Derived terms

• spurious infection

Related terms

• infect
• infected
• infectable
• infective

Translations

French

Etymology

From Old French infection, from Late Latin infecti?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.f?k.sj??/

Noun

infection f (plural infections)

1. (pathology) infection
2. (informal) stench, stink

   Synonyms: puanteur, pestilence

Derived terms

• infectieux

Descendants

• ? Turkish: enfeksiyon

References

• “infection” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Interlingua

Noun

infection (plural infectiones)

1. (pathology) The act or process of infecting.

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin *infecti?.

Noun

infection f (oblique plural infections, nominative singular infection, nominative plural infections)

1. (countable) infection.

English

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin pestilentia (“plague”), from pestilens (“infected, unwholesome, noxious”); see pestilent.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?st?l?n(t)s/, /?p?st?l?n(t)s/, /?p?stl?n(t)s/

Noun

pestilence (countable and uncountable, plural pestilences)

1. Any epidemic disease that is highly contagious, infectious, virulent and devastating.
   • 1826, Mary Shelley, The Last Man, part 2, chapter 2

     "Take it, Christian dogs? take the palaces, the gardens, the mosques, the abode of our fathers - take plague with them; pestilence is the enemy we fly; if she be your friend, hug her to your bosoms. The curse of Allah is on Stamboul, share ye her fate?"

   • 1949 - Bruce Kiskaddon, George R. Stewart, Earth Abides

     The snowshoe-rabbits build up through the years until they reach a climax when they seem to be everywhere; then with dramatic suddenness their pestilence falls upon them.

2. (archaic) Anything harmful to morals or public order.

Related terms

• pest
• pesticide
• pestilent

Translations

Further reading

• pestilence in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• pestilence in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

French

Etymology

From Old French pestilence, borrowed from Latin pestilentia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?s.ti.l??s/

Noun

pestilence f (plural pestilences)

1. (archaic or literary) pest epidemic; pestilence
2. extremely foul smell

   Synonyms: infection, puanteur

Derived terms

• pestilentiel

References

• “pestilence” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Old French

Noun

pestilence f (oblique plural pestilences, nominative singular pestilence, nominative plural pestilences)

1. pestilence (epidemic disease)