Word of the Day – Empest

Empest (verb)

Em-pest

To infect with plague, pestilence, etc.

Early 17th century; earliest use found in William Fowler (d. 1612), writer and courtier. From French empester to corrupt (a person) morally, to infect (a person) with a contagious disease, e.g. plague or pestilence from em- + peste.

Example sentences

“And he did empest upon the town a virus so serious it wiped out the entire population.”