infest etymology

Infest

Etymology:

  • Late Middle English (in the sense ‘attack violently’): from Latin infestāre, from in- ‘in, into’ + festāre ‘make haste, hurry, be busy’. The 17th-century figurative sense ‘annoy constantly’ is derived from the original sense of ‘attack repeatedly’.

Meaning:

To overrun or inhabit (a place) in large numbers, especially as a pest or parasite. To annoy or irritate persistently.

Origin:

The word "infest" comes from the Latin word "infestare," which means "to attack" or "to harass." It is composed of the prefix "in-" (meaning "into" or "against") and the verb "festare" (meaning "to hurry" or "to hasten").

The word "infest" was first used in English in the 14th century to describe the actions of bandits or robbers who attacked travelers. Over time, the meaning of the word expanded to include any kind of attack or harassment, including the actions of pests or parasites.

Today, the word "infest" is most commonly used to describe the presence of large numbers of pests or parasites in a particular place. It can also be used figuratively to describe the presence of something that is annoying or irritating.

infest relate terms

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  • Arab

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