Lewis & Short

pestis, is, f. [perh. for perd-tis, from perdo], 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).

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
    1. 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.