pestiferous
adj/ˌpɛsˈtɪfəɹəs/CA
Etymology
Mid 15th century, in sense “mischievous, pernicious”, from Latin pestiferus (“bearing plague”), from pestifer, from pestis (“plague”) + ferre (“carry”) (see infer). By surface analysis, pest + -i- (“bearing, carrying”) + -ferous.
Definitions
containing organisms that cause contagious diseases
- because he hath vouchsafed to preserue our nation from such fountains, from serpents and venemous wormes, & from al other pestiferous & contagious creatures.
- In these solemn moments man discovers the germ of those vices, which like the Java tree shed a pestiferous vapour around--death is in the shade!
- and bears the body of our dear brother here departed to a hemmed-in churchyard, pestiferous and obscene, whence malignant diseases are communicated to the bodies of our dear brothers and sisters who have not departed...
annoying, vexatious
- No, prelate; such is thy audacious wickedness, / Thy lewd, pestiferous, and dissentious pranks, / As very infants prattle of thy pride.
- and if any could have hanged his hindering and pestiferous council and set him free, he would have answered Joan's prayer and set her in the field.
- Lois rescues Clark from the pestiferous curly...
The neighborhood
Derived
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for pestiferous. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA