Impest
/ɪmˈpɛst/noun
An obsolete verb meaning to infest or afflict with pestilence.
Did you know?Impest is an obsolete variant associated with the same pestilence vocabulary that produced pest, pestilence, and pester, words historically linked to infestation and affliction.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
pestis
“A plague, pestilence, or destructive disease”
Late Latin
Latin
pestilentia
“Pestilence or a plague-stricken condition”
12th–13th Century
Old French
peste
“Plague or epidemic disease”
Middle English
English
peste
“Plague, pestilence, or a destructive affliction”
16th–17th Century
English
impest
“To infest or afflict; an obsolete variant influenced by pest-related vocabulary”
Modern English
English
impest
“An obsolete and rare verb meaning to infest”
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