Plague (noun)

1. A serious, widespread disease, typically one that spreads rapidly and kills many people.
2. A widespread affliction or calamity, often seen as a punishment from God.

Origin:

From middle english plage, from old english plǣga, from latin plaga ("stroke, wound"), from proto-indo-european *plak- ("to strike").

Examples:

1. The plague was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history.
2. The city was hit by a plague of rats.
3. The village was struck by a plague of cholera.
4. The children were hit by a plague of chickenpox.
5. The country was suffering from a plague of poverty and unemployment.