Meaning

(archaic, uncountable) Infectious disease; pestilence, plague; (countable) sometimes used in curses such as a murrain on someone: an outbreak of such a disease; a plague..

Definitions by Sense

1. (archaic, uncountable) Infectious disease; pestilence, plague; (countable) sometimes used in curses such as a murrain on someone: an outbreak of such a disease; a plague.
2. (countable, figurative, archaic) A widespread affliction, calamity, or destructive influx, especially when seen as divine retribution; a plague.
3. (countable, veterinary medicine, chiefly historical) Any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle or other livestock, such as anthrax, babesiosis, or rinderpest; or a particular epizootic thereof; also, an infectious disease affecting other animals, such as poultry.
4. (countable, by extension, phytopathology) An infectious disease affecting plants.
5. A poor-quality green-salted animal hide.
6. Death, especially from an infectious disease.
7. Rotting flesh, especially of an animal which has died from a disease; carrion.
8. Disgusting or offensive, as if having an infectious disease; contemptible, despicable, loathsome, plaguey.

Example Sentences

How a murryen came this chaunce, (ſay Tib) vnto our dame?

For heuen it ſelfe ſhall their ſucceſſe enuy, / And them vvith plagues and murrins peſtilent / Conſume, till all their vvarlike puiſſaunce be ſpent.

Rafe. […] [T]his ſhooe I durſt be ſworne / Once couered the inſtep of my Jane: / […] / By this old ſhooe I shall find out my wife. / Firke. Ha ha olde ſhoo, that wert new, how a murren came this ague fit of fooliſhnes upon thee?

[A] red murrion ath thy Iades trickes.

VVhat the Murrion care I vvho you are, hold off your Fingers, or Ile cut them vvith this Diamond.

[M]any Ievves vvere there executed by occaſion of a murren, procured (as vvas ſuſpected) by Ievviſh exorciſmes intending a plague to the men, and not a murren to the beaſts, if their vvorking had ſorted: but the Ievves ſaid it vvas but a pretence to depriue them of their riches.

But vvhat the murrain have they to do vvith Quality, vvhy don't their Husbands make 'em mind their Shops?

[A]t last, with a murrain to her, she cast her bewitching eye upon me.

Word Forms

• murrains
• murrein
• murrion
• more murrain
• most murrain

Synonyms for murrain

Related Words

When Should You Use Murrain?

Use murrain when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

Practice This Word

Frequently Asked Questions