murrain

American  

[mur-in] / ˈmɜr ɪn /

noun

1. Veterinary Pathology.  any of various diseases of cattle, as anthrax, foot-and-mouth disease, and Texas fever.

2. Obsolete.  a plague or pestilence.

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murrain British  

/ ˈmʌrɪn /

noun

1. any plaguelike disease in cattle

2. a plague

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Etymology

Origin of murrain

1300–50; Middle English moreine, moryne < Middle French morine a plague, equivalent to mor ( ir ) to die (≪ Latin morī ) + -ine -ine ²

Example Sentences

He explained that the Maullín flows on a glacial murrain so the trees float on the water in a dense mass.

From New York Times

The editorial added: “Otherwise nature is outraged, floods will again sweep the land and murrains strike our cattle. Or we could just stick with toast.”

From New York Times

The hides of the oxen and the “wool pells” of the sheep, which had been killed for food or had fallen victim to that curse of medieval farming, the murrain, were by no means wasted.

From Project Gutenberg

Experiments with the result which I have stated have been made with the microbes of splenic fever, chicken cholera, murrain, and certain other maladies.

From Project Gutenberg

"What a murrain!" muttered Amos, scrambling back and running after him.

From Project Gutenberg