A cause of great suffering or disaster; a whip or lash used for punishment; something that severely harms or troubles people.
From Old French 'escourgier' and Latin 'excoriae' meaning 'to strip the skin.' Originally referred to a whip, then evolved metaphorically to mean any terrible affliction or punishment.
Diseases, wars, and plagues have historically been called 'scourges'—it's fascinating that we still use a word that originally meant 'a whip for beating' to describe the worst things that happen to humanity.
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