Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A source of widespread dreadful affliction and devastation such as that caused by pestilence or war.
  • noun A means of inflicting severe suffering, vengeance, or punishment.
  • noun A small whip used to inflict punishment.
  • transitive verb To afflict with severe or widespread suffering and devastation; ravage.
  • transitive verb To chastise severely; excoriate.
  • transitive verb To flog.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A whip for the infliction of pain or punishment; a lash. See flagellum, 1.
  • noun A punishment; a punitive affliction; any means of inflicting punishment. vengeance, or suffering.
  • noun One who or that which greatly afflicts, harasses, or destroys.
  • To whip with a scourge; lash; apply the scourge to.
  • To punish with severity; chastise or correct; afflict for sins or faults, and for the purpose of correction.
  • To afflict greatly; harass; torment.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A lash; a strap or cord; especially, a lash used to inflict pain or punishment; an instrument of punishment or discipline; a whip.
  • noun Hence, a means of inflicting punishment, vengeance, or suffering; an infliction of affliction; a punishment.
  • transitive verb To whip severely; to lash.
  • transitive verb To punish with severity; to chastise; to afflict, as for sins or faults, and with the purpose of correction.
  • transitive verb To harass or afflict severely.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncountable A persistent pest, illness, or source of trouble, (figurative) cause of suffering to people.
  • noun A whip often of leather.
  • verb To strike with a scourge.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
  • verb punish severely; excoriate
  • noun something causing misery or death
  • verb whip
  • noun a person who inspires fear or dread
  • noun a whip used to inflict punishment (often used for pedantic humor)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman escorge, from Old French escorgier, to whip, from Vulgar Latin *excorrigiāre : Latin ex-, intensive pref.; see ex– + Latin corrigia, thong (probably of Celtic origin).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French escorgier ("to whip"), from Vulgar Latin excorrigere, consisting of ex- + Latin corrigo

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Examples

  • "Kevin Rudd as previous prime minister had indicated his intention to deal with what he called the scourge of it," he said.

    NEWS.com.au | Top Stories 2011

  • "Kevin Rudd as previous prime minister had indicated his intention to deal with what he called the scourge of it," he said.

    NEWS.com.au | Top Stories 2011

  • Despite the criticism of the new legislation, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed insists it is the only way to eradicate what he describes as the scourge of "professional" begging controlled by criminal gangs.

    unknown title 2009

  • Despite the criticism of the new legislation, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed insists it is the only way to eradicate what he describes as the scourge of "professional" begging controlled by criminal gangs.

    IOL: News 2009

  • Despite the criticism of the new legislation, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed insists it is the only way to eradicate what he describes as the scourge of "professional" begging controlled by criminal gangs.

    unknown title 2009

  • Rose is safe and he thinks he can do it again; sacrifice the lives on one planet to wipe the Dalek scourge from the face of the universe.

    Irked a Bit and Some Site Pimping amberfocus 2008

  • Yet in reassuring the public that the economy will return to normal he has missed a key opportunity to expose the longer-term scourge of widening inequality and its dangers.

    Robert Reich: The Root of Economic Fragility and Political Anger 2010

  • Yet in reassuring the public that the economy will return to normal he has missed a key opportunity to expose the longer-term scourge of widening inequality and its dangers.

    Robert Reich: The Root of Economic Fragility and Political Anger 2010

  • The identity theft scourge is only going to get worse in 2008 as perpetrators -- in pursuit of easy money -- get younger and pop up in developing countries.

    Report: Cybercriminals getting younger 2007

  • If necessary, we will wipe the scourge from the face of the earth, from every corner, every hole, every cave, and from every dark, dingy quarter.

    Preaching terrorism « BuzzMachine 2005

Comments

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  • Rodrigo used this word when he was upset about Juan's death.

    June 20, 2012