an acute contagious viral disease of cattle, characterized by severe inflammation of the intestinal tract and diarrhoea
Word origin
C19: German: cattle pest
rinderpest in American English
(ˈrɪndərˌpɛst)
noun
an acute, infectious disease of cattle, sheep, and goats caused by a paramyxovirus and characterized by fever and by hemorrhagic inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membrane of the alimentary canal
Word origin
Ger rinder, pl. of rind, horned beast (< IE base *er-, head, horn) + pest, plague