Black Death

noun

1. a form of bubonic plague that spread over Europe in the 14th century and killed an estimated quarter of the population.

Black Death

noun

1. a form of bubonic plague pandemic in Europe and Asia during the 14th century, when it killed over 50 million people See bubonic plague

Black Death

1. An epidemic of plague, especially its bubonic form, that occurred in outbreaks between 1347 and 1400. It originated in Asia and then swept through Europe, where it killed about a third of the population.

Black Death

1. A disease that killed nearly half the people of western Europe in the fourteenth century. It was a form of the bubonic plague.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Black Death¹

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

The plague — aka the Black Death, aka the Great Pestilence — is rarely contracted today, yet it recently infected a South Lake Tahoe resident.

From Los Angeles Times

During the Middle Ages, infected rats were to blame for the Black Death in Europe in the 14th century.

From Los Angeles Times

Plague, known as the "Black Death" in the 14th century, killed up to half of Europe's population.

From BBC

The agonizing and hilarious “Friendship” makes it feel like the Black Death.

From Los Angeles Times

In 1348, the Black Death arrived in London, a plague killing approximately 40,000 people - nearly half of the city's population.

From BBC