Word
infestation
Phoneticsin·fes·ta·tion
US/ˌɪnˈfɛsˈteɪʃən/
UK/ɪnfɛstˈeɪʃən/
Definition
n. the presence of a large number of pests, like insects or rats, in a place where they cause damage or health problems.
n. the state of being invaded or overrun by pests or parasites in numbers large enough to be harmful or obnoxious.
Examples
“The landlord had to deal with a serious ant infestation.”
“Health inspectors closed the restaurant immediately after discovering a severe rodent infestation in the dry storage area.”
“Agricultural experts warned that the locust infestation could devastate the region's wheat crops if containment measures were not implemented before the next breeding cycle.”
Examples
simple
“The landlord had to deal with a serious ant infestation.”
contextual
“Health inspectors closed the restaurant immediately after discovering a severe rodent infestation in the dry storage area.”
complex
“Agricultural experts warned that the locust infestation could devastate the region's wheat crops if containment measures were not implemented before the next breeding cycle.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the general state of being infested; countable when referring to a specific instance or occurrence.
Real-World Examples
Common in science writing
“For the past six years – counter to the far-right “life-of-luxury” narrative – Diane has reported on life inside these hotels: rat infestations and food so abysmal it causes nutritional deficiencies.” “H13 triggers local cell death, cell-wall reinforcement, and larva-toxic molecules, depriving larvae of nutrients and limiting infestation.” Etymology
From Middle French infestation, from Late Latin infestatio. Morphologically infest + -ation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/infestation