bubonic plague

American  

noun

Pathology.

bubonic plagues plural

1. 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.

---

bubonic plague British  

noun

1. 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

---

bubonic plague Cultural  

1. A highly contagious disease, usually fatal, affecting the lymphatic system. The bubonic plague is caused by bacteria transmitted to humans by rat-borne fleas.

---

Discover More

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bubonic plagues
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bubonic plague

First recorded in 1885–90

Compare meaning

How does bubonic-plague compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• bubonic plague vs. Black Death
• Black Plague vs. bubonic plague
• pneumonic plague vs. bubonic plague
• bubonic plague vs. coronavirus
• pneumonic vs. bubonic plague

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bubonic plague

Earlier research had indicated that ancient strains of Yersinia pestis lacked some of the genetic features that later allowed bubonic plague to spread efficiently through fleas and rodent hosts.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026

Only two decades ago, it was widely doubted by specialists that the Black Death was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, the agent of the bubonic plague.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

In July, an Arizona resident died of the pneumonic form of the plague, which can develop when bacteria spread to the lungs of a patient with untreated bubonic plague.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2025

There are different forms of plague, such as bubonic plague, which is the most common and is caused by the bite of an infected flea.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2025

Smallpox, measles, influenza, typhus, bubonic plague, and other infectious diseases endemic in Europe played a decisive role in European conquests, by decimating many peoples on other continents.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond