Blackleg

Pronunciation: /blæk.lɛɡ/

Definitions of blackleg

noun a bacterial disease affecting livestock, especially cattle and sheep

Example Sentences

A1 The farmer's cow had a blackleg.

A2 The veterinarian diagnosed the cow with blackleg.

B1 Blackleg is a bacterial disease that affects livestock.

B2 The outbreak of blackleg in the region caused a lot of concern among farmers.

C1 The blackleg vaccine has been proven to be effective in preventing the disease.

C2 The farmer had to cull the infected cow to prevent the spread of blackleg to the rest of the herd.

Examples of blackleg in a Sentence

formal The farmer had to deal with an outbreak of blackleg in his cattle.

informal The vet said that blackleg is spreading among the cows.

slang I heard that blackleg is going around the farm.

figurative Dishonesty is like a blackleg in a business deal.

Grammatical Forms of blackleg

• past tense: blacklegged
• plural: blacklegs
• comparative: more blackleg
• superlative: most blackleg
• present tense: blacklegs
• future tense: will blackleg
• perfect tense: have blacklegged
• continuous tense: is blacklegging
• singular: blackleg
• positive degree: blackleg
• infinitive: to blackleg
• gerund: blacklegging
• participle: blacklegged

Origin and Evolution of blackleg

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The term 'blackleg' originated in England during the medieval period.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe a person who refused to join a strike or work stoppage, the term 'blackleg' later evolved to refer to someone who scabs or betrays their fellow workers during labor disputes.