I.a deadly, esp. an infectious or contagious disease, a plague, pest, pestilence; also, a noxious atmosphere, unhealthy weather (class., but rare for pestilentia; cf. contagio, lues).
I. Lit.: hos pestis necuit, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 861 P. (Ann. v. 549 Vahl.): “ibes avertunt pestem ab Aegypto,” Cic. N. D. 1, 36, 101: “avertere a populo pestem,” Liv. 4, 25, 3; 5, 14; 25, 26: “alii aliā peste absumpti sunt,” Liv. 25, 19.—Poet.: “crudelem nasorum interfice pestem,” i. e. stinking smell, Cat. 69, 9.—In plur.: “in omnibus morbis ac pestibus,” Col. 7, 5 fin; 2, 9, 9 sq.—
II. Transf., in gen., destruction, ruin, death (class.): qui alteri exitium parat, Eum scire oportet, sibi paratam pestem ut participet parem, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 39 (Trag. v. 22 Vahl.); so with exitium, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 21, 42 (Trag. v. 68 Vahl.): “quanta pernis pestis veniet!” Plaut. Capt. 4, 3, 3; Lucr. 3, 347: “detestabilis pestis,” Cic. Off. 2, 5, 16: “pestis ac pernicies civitatis,” id. Rab. Perd. 1, 2; 9, 25: priusquam oppeto malam pestem (= subeo mortem), Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 38 (Trag. v. 15 Vahl.); so, “occidam oppetamque pestem,” will seek my death, Plaut. Capt. 3, 3, 11; cf. id. As. 1, 1, 7: “servatae a peste carinae,” i. e. from the fire, Verg. A. 5, 699: “pestem miserrimam importare alicui,” Cic. Deiot. 15, 43: “machinari alicui,” id. N. D. 3, 26, 67: “minitari,” Liv. 2, 49.—
B. Concr., of a destructive thing or person, a pest, curse, bane: “quin unā omnes peste hac populum liberant?” Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 70: “peste interimor textili (of the poisoned and fatal garment of Nessus), Cic. poët. Tusc. 2, 8, 20: coluber, Pestis boum,” Verg. G. 3, 419: “illa furia ac pestis patriae (of Clodius),” id. Sest. 14, 33: “post abitum hujus importunissimae pestis,” id. Verr. 2, 3, 54, § 125: “nec saevior ulla Pestis et ira deūm (of the Harpies),” Verg. A. 3, 214: “pestes frugum,” Plin. 22, 25, 77, § 160; “of Nero: clade et peste sub illā,” Juv. 4, 84.—In plur.: “quaedam pestes hominum,” social pests, Cic. Fam. 5, 8, 2: “variae pestes,” Verg. G. 1, 181: “corporeae pestes,” id. A. 6, 737.
