• vt. 鞭打；蹂躏；严斥；痛斥
• n. 鞭；灾祸；鞭子；苦难的根源

来自盎格鲁法语 escorge,鞭子，来自古法语 escorgier,鞭打，鞭刑，可能来自拉丁语 excoriare, 剥皮，来自 ex-,向外，corium,皮肤，兽皮，来自 PIE*sker,砍，切，分开，词源同 shear,excoriate. 引申词义灾害，祸害。参照 Scourge of God,上帝之鞭，原指欧洲人对西汉时期入侵欧洲的匈 奴王的称号，后指元朝时再次入侵欧洲的成吉思汗。

scourge

scourge: [13] Scourge comes ultimately from a Latin word for a ‘long strip of leather’, corrigio, which itself was borrowed from Celtic. It had a number of specific applications, including ‘shoelace’, ‘rein’, and ‘whip’, and it was the last that formed the basis of the Vulgar Latin verb *excorrigiāre ‘whip’, which passed into English via Old French escorgier and its derived noun escorge.

scourge (n.)

c. 1200, "a whip, lash," from Anglo-French escorge, back-formation from Old French escorgier "to whip," from Vulgar Latin *excorrigiare, from Latin ex- "out, off" (see ex-) + corrigia "thong, shoelace," in this case "whip," probably from a Gaulish word related to Old Irish cuimrech "fetter," from PIE root *reig- "to bind" (see rig (v.)). Figurative use from late 14c. Scourge of God, title given by later generations to Attila the Hun (406-453 C.E.), is attested from late 14c., from Latin flagellum Dei.

scourge (v.)

c. 1300, "to whip," from Old French escorgier and from scourge (n.). Figurative meaning "to afflict" (often for the sake of punishment or purification) is from late 14c. Related: Scourged; scourging.

1. Drugs are a scourge that is devastating our society.

毒品是破坏我们社会的一大祸害。

来自柯林斯例句

2. The cruel captain used a scourge on his disobedient sailor.

那残忍的船长鞭打不服从命令的水手.

来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3. After the scourge of war came the scourge of disease.

战乱之后瘟疫接踵而来.

来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4. The scourge of racial tyranny should never again be allowed to raise its ugly head.

永远不能让种族主义暴政的祸患重新抬头。

来自柯林斯例句

5. Farmers don't need much prompting to tell you that "flaming dog owners" are the scourge of their lives.

不用怎么提示农场主们就会告诉你，“该死的养狗人”是他们生活的灾星。

来自柯林斯例句