murrain

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

murrain
    n 1: any disease of domestic animals that resembles a plague

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Murrain \Mur"rain\, n. [OE. moreine, OF. morine, fr. OF. morir,
   murir, 8die, L. mori, moriri.] (Far.)
   An infectious and fatal disease among cattle. --Bacon.
   [1913 Webster]

   {A murrain on you}, may you be afflicted with a pestilent
      disease. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Murrain \Mur"rain\, a.
   Having, or afflicted with, murrain.
   [1913 Webster]

from Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

Murrain
Heb. deber, "destruction," a "great mortality", the fifth plague
that fell upon the Egyptians (Ex. 9:3). It was some distemper
that resulted in the sudden and widespread death of the cattle.
It was confined to the cattle of the Egyptians that were in the
field (9:6).

[email protected]