scourge
nounmasculine/flɐˈʒɛlu/medium
fla·ge·lo
Definition
A whip used for punishment; by extension, a cause of great suffering or calamity.
The scourge of war ravaged the region for years.
The plague was one of the greatest scourges of the Middle Ages.
Common collocations
social scourgenatural scourgeto be a scourge
Etymology
Do latim 'flagellum', diminutivo de 'flagrum' (chicote).