disease

Universal Words noun [U,C] 1 an illness affecting humans, animals or plants, often caused by infection: heart / liver / kidney disease * health measures to prevent the spread of disease * an infectious / contagious disease (= one that can be passed to sb very easily) * It is not known what causes the disease. * protection against sexually transmitted diseases * He suffers from a rare blood disease. * A fatty diet increases the risk of heart disease. * the problem of controlling pests and disease with organic gardening methods 2 [C] (formal) something that is very wrong with people's attitudes, way of life or with society: Greed is a disease of modern society.