The Plague

The Plague Glossary

Plagued

When someone feels continual trouble or distress

Sliver

A small piece of something cut off from a larger piece

Stipend

A fixed regular sum paid as a salary or as expenses

Mirth

Finding something amusing, especially as expressed in laughter

Glee

To have great delight, especially from one's own good fortune or another's misfortune

Devotion

To be loyal to something or someone

Flawed

Having a weakness in character

Construe

To understand something

Virulent

A severe strain of disease or abstract metaphor for disease that is highly contagious and dangerously infectious

Efficacious

Efficiently effective; very capable of producing success

Lethargic

Drowsy, listless, and fatigued; lacking energy to do even the basic tasks

Lucid

Clear-headed; capable of thinking logically and seeing things without confusion

The Black Death

A name given to the Dark Ages plague which killed at least a third of the entire population of Europe in medieval times

Cholera

A gastro-intestinal disease capable of killing in large numbers when medical treatment is not available

Vaunted

Receiving high praise; bragged about; publicized as worthy of hype

Malady

An illness or condition of bad health

Conjure

To bring into being from seemingly nothing, almost as if by magic or sorcery

Efface

To obliterate or cause to vanish from memory

Effluvia

Waste material that gives off an exceptionally foul odor

Epidemic

A widespread outbreak of a health emergency with the potential to harm or kill significant numbers

Sentry

Someone or something that stands guard to repel unwanted visitors or invaders

Solace

Much-needed sense of comfort during a time of extreme duress

Tranquil

A sense of calm and serenity; peaceful and at rest

Fatalist

Someone who subscribes to a philosophy that everybody’s fate is predetermined and cannot be changed by their actions or decisions

Heed

To pay attention or regard

Humanism

A doctrine of belief rejecting the superstition associated with religion and embracing scientific logic and rational thought

Buy Study Guide Cite this page