pestilence

 
Pronunciation: /ˈpɛstɪl(ə)ns/

noun

archaic
  • a fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague: neither prayers nor demonstrations halted the advance of the pestilence [mass noun]: she died of pestilence

Origin:

Middle English (also denoting something morally corrupting): from Old French, from Latin pestilentia, based on pestis 'a plague'