Etimology
From Middle English disese, from Anglo-Norman desese, disaise, from Old French desaise, from des- + aise. Equivalent to dis- + ease. Displaced native Middle English adle, audle (“disease”) (from Old English ādl (“disease, sickness”), see adle), Middle English cothe, coathe (“disease”) (from Old English coþu (“disease”), see coath).
noun
disease (countable and uncountable, plural diseases)
(medicine) An abnormal condition of a human, animal or plant that causes discomfort or dysfunction; distinct from injury insofar as the latter is usually instantaneously acquired.
(figuratively) Any abnormal or harmful condition, as of society, people's attitudes, way of living etc.
Lack of ease; uneasiness; trouble; vexation; disquiet.
Examples
The tomato plants had some kind of disease that left their leaves splotchy and fruit withered.
[…] diſeaſes deſperate growne, By deſperate appliance are releeued, Or not at all.
The instability, injustice, and confusion, introduced into the public councils, have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have every where perished; […]
Of all the queer collections of humans outside of a crazy asylum, it seemed to me this sanitarium was the cup winner. […] When you're well enough off so's you don't have to fret about anything but your heft or your diseases you begin to get queer, I suppose.
[…] the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes […] And then, when you see [the senders], you probably find that they are the most melancholy old folk with malignant diseases.
Conditions were horrendous aboard most British naval vessels at the time. Scurvy and other diseases ran rampant, killing more seamen each year than all other causes combined, including combat.
War is not man's great and terrible disease; war is a symptom, a result. The real disease is the virus of national sovereignty.
To ſhield thee from diſeaſes of the world, […]
Related words
synonyms
See Thesaurus:disease § Synonyms
hyponyms
See Thesaurus:disease § Hyponyms
verb
disease (third-person singular simple present diseases, present participle diseasing, simple past and past participle diseased)
(obsolete) To cause unease; to annoy, irritate.
To infect with a disease.
Examples
Whyll he yett ſpeake there cam won from the rulers off the ſynagogis houſſe which ſayde to hym: Thy doughter is deed diſeaſe not the maſter.
[…] mote he ſoft himſelfe appeaſe, And fairely fare on foot, how euer loth; His double burden did him ſore diſeaſe.