murrain
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murrain
- /ˈmʌɹ(ɪ)n/ UK
- /-ɹeɪn/ UK
- /ˈmʌɹən/ US
Where it comes from
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”)
noun murrains · murrein · murrion
- Infectious disease; pestilence, plague; (countable) sometimes used in curses such as a murrain on someone: an outbreak of such a disease; a plague. How a murryen came this chaunce, (ſay Tib) vnto our dame?
- A widespread affliction, calamity, or destructive influx, especially when seen as divine retribution; a plague. Usura [a personification of usury] is a murrain, usura / blunteth the needle in the maid’s hand / and stoppeth the spinner’s cunning.
- 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. water murrain
- An infectious disease affecting plants. potato murrain
- A poor-quality green-salted animal hide. Green salted are those that have been salted and are thoroughly cured. […] In green-salted hides and skins, those weighing […] 14 to 25 pounds, if plump, kip, but if thin and poor are called runners or murrains, and are sold at two thirds the price of good kip; […]
- Death, especially from an infectious disease. Moreyn dethe mortalité […] mourine […]
- Rotting flesh, especially of an animal which has died from a disease; carrion. The fold ſtands empty, in the drovvned fiend, / And crovves are fatted vvith the murrion flocke.
adjective more murrain · most murrain
-
Disgusting or offensive, as if having an infectious disease; contemptible, despicable, loathsome, plaguey.
No, ich know thars not within this land / A muryner Cat than Gyb is, betwixt the tems [Thames] and Tyne, […]
Similar: abject, filthy, base, beggarly, blameworthy, carrion, cheap, choical, contemptible, cringing, damnable, dedecorous
- Used as an intensifier: to a great extent; extreme, intense. But my Lady vvas in ſuch murrain haſte to be here, that ſet out ſhe vvould, thof' I tould her, it vvas Childermas Day.
adverb more murrain · most murrain
-
Used as an intensifier: extremely, very.
It is a murrion crafty drab, and froward to be pleaſed.
Similar: murrainly, acutely, awfully, almighty, badly, seriously, impossibly, beyond, damn, drastically, exceedingly, extraordinarily
Translations
Talk about this word "murrain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/murrain. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. murrain. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/murrain "murrain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/murrain.Cite this
@misc{murrain_2026,
title = {murrain},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/murrain},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
