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

Explanation

A livestock disease that passes from animal to animal is called a murrain. The distinctive thing about a murrain is that it spreads rapidly. A murrain is an epidemic that's limited to sheep and cattle, though the term is sometimes used to refer generally to a plague or other outbreak of disease. This uncommon noun comes from the Old French word morine, or "pestilence," which is probably rooted in mourir, "to die," from the Latin mori.

Example Sentences

Once again last week, as it had every year since 1911, Sweden's Taxeringskalender was proving a boon to the boastful, a murrain to the miserly and a surefire smash in the bookstalls.

From Time Magazine Archive

It must not be forgotten that all the cattle and all beasts had died with the murrain before the boils had broken out.

From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 2 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Lectures by Ingersoll, Robert Green

Treatment.—In the early stages of joint murrain and its kindred maladies, if inflammatory fever is present, the first and most important step is to relax the external surface, as directed in article Pneumonia, p.

From The American Reformed Cattle Doctor by Dadd, George

A murrain on the barbarous words that trip my speech!

From The Great Mogul by Tracy, Louis

John Lyrer, tanner, buys from her fifty-five ox-hides at 3s. 6d. each, and three cow-hides, two steer-hides, one bull-hide, and one murrain ox-hide at 2s. 4d. each, making a total of £10. 8s. 10d.

From Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535 by Power, Eileen