murrein

M3U1R1R1E1I1N1

A form of murrain — Infectious disease; pestilence, plague; (countable) sometimes used in curses such as a murrain on someone: an outbreak of such a disease; a plague.

Scrabble 9

Meanings

nounmurrein (countable and uncountable, plural murreins)

plural murreins

  1. countableobsoleteuncountableObsolete spelling of murrain.
    2 more examples

    [A] Church-mans Juriſdiction is no more but to vvatch over his Flock in ſeaſon, and out of ſeaſon, to deal by ſvveet and efficacious Inſtructions, gentle Admonitions, and ſometimes rounder Reproofs; […] againſt a perſiſting ſtubbornes, or the fear of a reprobate ſenſe, a timely ſeparation from the Flock by that interdictive Sentence, leſt his Converſation unprohibited, or unbranded, might breath a peſtilential murrein into the other Sheepe.

    1642 April, John Milton, An Apology for Smectymnuus; republished in A Complete Collection of the Historical, Political, and Miscellaneous Works of John Milton, […], volume I, Amsterdam [actually London: s.n.], 1698, →OCLC, page 159

    [page 47] [B]ecauſe Murreins among the Larger Cattle, and Rots among the Smaller, are the moſt Fatal of Diſeaſes, and ſvveep them avvay by Herds and Flocks, I ſhall (from Long Experience) ſhovv the neareſt vvay to fore-ſee the approaching Danger, […] [page 48] To prevent therefore this Murrein, Long-ſought; or as ſome call it, Gurget: If you are conſtrained to Paſture your Beaſts, bleed them as ſoon as ever the Leaf begins to fall; peg their Ears and Devv-laps vvith Helebore, or Bears-foot, a Plant ſo called; […]

    1700, C. P. [pseudonym], “Signs of Murrein, Rot, or Such Like Destroying Diseases in Cattle; how to Prevent or Remedy Them”, in The Sheepherd’s New Kalender: or, The Citizen’s & Country Man’s Daily Companion: […], London: […] A. M. for J. Blare, […], →OCLC, pages 47–48

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

murrein. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/murrein

MLA

“murrein.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/murrein. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “murrein,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/murrein.

Source: murrein on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.