Black plague

Great Plague, epidemic of the bubonic plague that struck London during the mid-1660s

This article concerns the mid fourteenth century pandemic. For other outbreaks and a microbiological perspective, see Bubonic plague. The Black Death, or The Black Plague, was one of the most deadly pandemics in human history. It began in South-western or Central Asia and spread to Europe by the late 1340s. The total number of deaths worldwide from the pandemic is estimated at 75 million people; there were an estimated 10 million deaths in Europe alone. The Black Death is estimated to have killed one fifth of Europe's population.
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Black Death n. A form of bubonic plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, that was pandemic throughout Europe and much of Asia in the 14th century. [more]Black plague - Community and Resources

Noun
1. the epidemic form of bubonic plague experienced during the Middle Ages when it killed nearly half the people of western Europe
(synonym) Black Death
(hypernym) bubonic plague

In 14th-century Europe, the victims of the "black plague" had bleeding below the skin (subcutaneous hemorrhage) which made darkened ("blackened") their bodies. Black plague can lead to "black death" characterized by gangrene of the fingers, toes, and nose. Black plague is caused by a bacterium (Yersinia pestis) which is transmitted to humans from infected rats by the oriental rat flea.