disease

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   An illness that affects people, animals, or plants.

   Doctors are working hard to find a cure for the disease.

2. 2
   noun

   A harmful condition affecting a society or way of life.

   Many people see greed as a disease of modern society.

From Middle English disese, from Anglo-Norman desese, disaise, from Old French desaise, from des- + aise. Displaced native Middle English adle, audle (“disease”) (from Old English ādl (“disease, sickness”), see adle), Middle English cothe, coathe (“disease”) (from Old English coþu (“disease”), see coath). By surface analysis, dis- + ease.

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