Murrain

Quick meaning: Murrain is a noun meaning (countable, by extension, phytopathology) An infectious disease affecting plants.

Meaning

(countable, by extension, phytopathology) An infectious disease affecting plants.

More Meanings

1. A poor-quality green-salted animal hide.
2. Death, especially from an infectious disease.
3. Rotting flesh, especially of an animal which has died from a disease; carrion.
4. Disgusting or offensive, as if having an infectious disease; contemptible, despicable, loathsome, plaguey.
5. (countable, figurative, archaic) A widespread affliction, calamity, or destructive influx, especially when seen as divine retribution; a plague.
6. (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.
7. (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.

Example Sentences

[A] red murrion ath thy Iades trickes.

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

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

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

Word Forms

• murrains
• murrein
• murrion

Synonyms for murrain

Depending on context, synonyms include abject, filthy, base, beggarly, blameworthy, carrion.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include murrin, murian, qualm, pest, ague, pestis.

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