bubonic plague
noun Pathology.
a serious, sometimes fatal, infection with the bacterial toxin Yersinia pestis, transmitted by fleas from infected rodents and characterized by high fever, weakness, and the formation of buboes, especially in the groin and armpits.
Compare
Black Death.
Origin of bubonic plague
First recorded in 1885–90
Words nearby bubonic plague
bubby,
buber,
bubo,
bubonalgia,
bubonic,
bubonic plague,
bubonocele,
bubu,
bucaramanga,
bucardia,
bucca
British Dictionary definitions for bubonic plague
bubonic plague
noun
an acute infectious febrile disease characterized by chills, prostration, delirium, and formation of buboes: caused by the bite of a rat flea infected with the bacterium Yersinia pestis
See also plague
Medical definitions for bubonic plague
bubonic plague
n.
A contagious, often fatal epidemic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, transmitted from person to person or by the bite of fleas from an infected host, especially a rat, and characterized by chills, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and the formation of buboes.
Scientific definitions for bubonic plague
bubonic plague
[ bōō-bŏn′ĭk ]
See under plague.
Cultural definitions for bubonic plague
bubonic plague
[ (byooh-bon-ik, booh-bon-ik playg) ]
A highly contagious disease, usually fatal, affecting the lymphatic system. The bubonic plague is caused by bacteria transmitted to humans by rat-borne fleas.
notes for bubonic plague
From 1347 to 1351, a disease known as the
Black Death, similar to the bubonic plague, entered
Europe from
Asia and killed a large percentage of the population, sometimes wiping out entire towns. It caused widespread social changes in Europe.