bubonic plague

American  

noun

Pathology.

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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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

Symptoms of the bubonic plague in humans typically appear within two to eight days after exposure and may include fever, chills, headache, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes.

From BBC • Jul. 12, 2025

And if you go, is the employee at checkout yawning because of fatigue or the bubonic plague?

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2025

On the larger side of the small-mammal spectrum are squirrels, known to spread bubonic plague, which was known as the Black Death when it killed 25 million people in Europe in the 14th century.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 13, 2024

During the 1600s, doctors believed nutmeg could be effective at warding off the bubonic plague and many people wore it tied around their necks.

From Salon • Dec. 11, 2023

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