PERT'ILENCE, noun [Latin pestilentia, from pestilens; pestis, plague.] 1. Plague, appropriately so called; but in a general sense, any contagious or infectious disease that is epidemic and mortal. 2. Corruption or moral disease destructive to happiness. Profligate habits carry pestilence into the bosom of domestic society.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI