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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.
See Examples For:
One strategy aims to tell technicians where an infestation is still active, while another attempts to eliminate the termites with a more localized treatment.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
Some moves were driven by other considerations, like an apartment with a rat infestation.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
A further inspection took place at B&M's store at The Fort Shopping Park in Erdington on 27 October 2025 following a complaint alleging a mouse infestation.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The latest infestation is on Costco-sold desert willows, a small tree or shrub with trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom in pink, lavender, and white.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 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
Without treatment, severe infestations can badly injure or kill livestock and wildlife.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
Worse, the “don’t touch it” mentality allowed forest overgrowth, bug infestations and fuel buildup that have fed cataclysmic fires—with all the attendant consequences for habitat, resources and scenery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Spot-on treatments to prevent parasite infestations in fur and on skin are currently widely available for pet owners to buy in supermarkets and online.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Still others described unexplained rashes, outbreaks of diarrhea and infestations of lice, among a host of other maladies for which many said they were offered only Tylenol or allergy medication.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Soil samples showed heavy infestations by tiny nematode worms.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
