adj · adv · noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈmʌɹ(ɪ)n/
Received-Pronunciation:/-ɹeɪn/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈmʌɹən/
1
adj
Meaning 1
Disgusting or offensive, as if having an infectious disease; contemptible, despicable, loathsome, plaguey.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Infectious disease; pestilence, plague; (countable) sometimes used in curses such as a murrain on someone: an outbreak of such a disease; a plague.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A widespread affliction, calamity, or destructive influx, especially when seen as divine retribution; a plague.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, countable, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
Any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle or other livestock, such as anthrax, babesiosis, or rinderpest; or a particular epizootic thereof; also, an infectious disease affecting other animals, such as poultry.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
Death, especially from an infectious disease.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
Rotting flesh, especially of an animal which has died from a disease; carrion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
any disease of domestic animals that resembles a plague
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: animal disease
History
Etymology
The noun is derived from Late Middle English morein, morine, moreyn (“(widespread) death; widespread sickness, plague; fatal disease; carnage; carrion”), from Anglo-Norman morine, mourine, moreyn (“death; widespread sickness, plague; carrion; cattle disease”), Middle French morine, and Old French morine, mourine, murine (“widespread sickness, plague; animal which has died from a disease”), from Late Latin morina (“plague”), probably from Latin morior (“to die; to decay, wither”). The adjective and adverb are derived from the noun. Cognates * Italian morìa (“plague”) * Latin morticīnus (“that has died naturally, dead; (relational) carrion”) (Medieval Latin morticinium) * Occitan moria (“death; plague”) * Old French morie (“death”) mourie (“flesh of animals that have died of disease”) (Middle French murie) * Portuguese morrinha (“cattle plague”) * Spanish morriña (“cattle plague”)
Across languages
Translations
18 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مَوْتَان
(mawtān)
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Chinese Mandarin:
牛瘟
(niúwēn)
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Finnish:
karjarutto
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Galician:
morriña
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Galician:
rabuxa
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
German:
Pest
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Greek:
επιζωοτία
(epizootía)
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Old Irish:
moirtchenn
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Macedonian:
чу́ма
(čúma)
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Polish:
mór
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Polish:
pomór
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Portuguese:
morrinha
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Russian:
мор
(mor)
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Russian:
падёж
(padjóž)
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Spanish:
morriña
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Ottoman Turkish:
قیران
(kıran)
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
Ottoman Turkish:
موتان
(mutan)
— any of several highly infectious diseases of cattle, etc.; or a particular epizootic thereof
