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Etymology
Origin of infestation
1375–1425; late Middle English infestacio ( u ) n < Late Latin infestātiōn- (stem of infestātiō ). See infest, -ation
Explanation
An infestation is an invasion of insects on a place like a house or an attack by insects on a plant. If you're scared of bugs, you're not going to like learning about an infestation, which is a huge amount of insects going where they're not supposed to be. If a house is full of cockroaches or other bugs, that's an infestation. One or two bugs doesn't count: an infestation means lots of bugs are invading, and it's a huge problem. Also, when plants are attacked by lots of swarming insects, that's called an infestation or plague.
Vocabulary lists containing infestation
The Lemonade War
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 19–March 25, 2022
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 19–February 25, 2022
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
More than 800 residents are now part of a local "fly infestation" Facebook group, with people reporting issues in the Seaside, Morfa and Tyisha areas of the south-west Wales town.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
First of all, the rancher has eyes on their animal, and if they see that the animal has an infestation, they send it to a vet.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
Left untreated, the infestation can be deadly, and the parasites can quickly spread.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
Angels officials said they quickly resolved a rodent infestation Orange County health inspectors flagged at an outdoor food stand in View Level Section 432.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
As she clasped the cloak around her shoulders, Gingersnipes stole a glance at the budding infestation outside the cottage window.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
