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Specifically, the disease known as the plague; hence, any contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating. The pestilence That walketh in darkness. Ps. xci. 6.

Caused by planets. "A planetary plague." Shak.

ungs; a combination of pleurisy and pneumonia, esp. a kind of contagions and fatal lung plague of cattle.

See Portague. [Obs.]

See Portague. Beau. & Fl.

eterminate limitations; exactly or sharply defined or stated; definite; exact; nice; not vague or equivocal; as, precise rules of morality. The law in this point is not precise. Bacon. For the hour precise Exacts our parting hence. Milton.

power of preserving; a presevative agent. To wear tablets as preservatives against the plague. Bacon.

ertaining to the fourth; occurring every fourth day, reckoning inclusively; as, a quartan ague, or fever.

Anything returning daily; especially (Med.), an intermittent fever or ague which returns every day. Milton.

To ravage; to prevail without restraint, or with destruction or fatal effect; as, the plague raged in Cairo.

by motion or effort; to obtain; to reach; to come to. [Archaic] The forest is not three leagues off; If we recover that, we're sure enough. Shak. Except he could recover one of the Cities of Refuge he was to die. Hales.

] Shak. All Europe high (all sorts of rights reneged) Against the trith and thee unholy leagued. Sylvester.

Prevailing; prevalent; abounding. Before the plague of London, inflammations of the lungs were rife and mortal. Arbuthnot. Even now the tumult of loud mirth Was rife, and perfect in may listening ear. Milton.

urrain, affecting neat cattle, and less commonly sheep and goats; -- called also cattle plague, Russian cattle plague, and steppe murrain.

ertaining to the Sciænidæ, a family of marine fishes which includes the meagre, the squeteague, and the kingfish.

The spotted squeteague.

The common squeteague, and the spotted squeteague.

Having vague outlines, and colors and shades so mingled as to give a misty appearance; -- said of a painting.

Shadowy; vague. [Obs.] Hooker.

g.] No great shakes, of no great importance. [Slang] Byron. -- The shakes, the fever and ague. [Colloq. U.S.]