pestiferous
[ pe-stif-er-uh s ]
/ pɛˈstɪf ər əs /
adjective
bringing or bearing disease.
pernicious; evil.
Informal. mischievous; troublesome or annoying.
RELATED WORDS
bothersome, contagious, diseased, harmful, infectious, noisome, noxious, pernicious, toxic, unhealthy, virulent, pestilential
Nearby words
- pester,
- pester power,
- pesthole,
- pesthouse,
- pesticide,
- pestiferously,
- pestilence,
- pestilent,
- pestilential,
- pestle
Origin of pestiferous
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for pestiferous
pestiferous
/ (pɛˈstɪfərəs) /
adjective
informal troublesome; irritating
breeding, carrying, or spreading infectious disease
corrupting; pernicious
Word Origin for pestiferous
C16: from Latin pestifer, from pestis contagious disease, pest + ferre to bring
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
pestiferous
mid-15c., "mischievous, pernicious," figurative use of Latin pestiferus "that brings plague or destruction," variant of pestifer "bringing plague, destructive, noxious," from pestis "plague" (see pest) + ferre "carry" (see infer). Related: Pestiferously; pestiferousness.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
pestiferous
[ pĕ-stĭf′ər-əs ]
adj.
Producing or breeding infectious disease.
Infected with or contaminated by an epidemic disease.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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