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pest
[ pest ]
/ pɛst /
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noun
an annoying or troublesome person, animal, or thing; nuisance.
an insect or other small animal that harms or destroys garden plants, trees, etc.
a deadly epidemic disease, especially a plague; pestilence.
OTHER WORDS FOR pest
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of pest
First recorded in 1545–55, pest is from the Latin word pestis plague
OTHER WORDS FROM pest
de-pest, verb (used with object)Words nearby pest
pessary, pessimism, pessimist, pessimistic, Pessoa, pest, Pestalozzi, pester, pester power, pesthole, pesthouse
Other definitions for pest (2 of 2)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use pest in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for pest
pest
/ (pɛst) /
noun
a person or thing that annoys, esp by imposing itself when it is not wanted; nuisance
- any organism that damages crops, injures or irritates livestock or man, or reduces the fertility of land
- (as modifier)pest control
rare an epidemic disease or pestilence
Word Origin for pest
C16: from Latin pestis plague, of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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