Pĕs'ter, v. t.

v. t. [imp. & p. p. PESTERED; p. pr. & vb. n. PESTERING.] [Abbreviated from impester; O. Fr. empestrer, N. Fr. empétrer, to entangle the feet or legs, to embarrass, for empéturer, from Fr. pasturon, păturon, pastern, It. pasturale, from L. Lat. pastorium, pastoria, a fetter by which horses are prevented from wandering in the pastures, It. pastoja, from Lat. pastorius, belonging to a herdsman or shepherd, from pastor, a herdsman, from pascere, to pasture.]

1Sense 1. To trouble; to disturb; to annoy; to harass with little vexations.

We are pestered with mice and rats. More.

A multitude of scribblers daily pester the world with their insufferable stuff. Dryden.

2Sense 2. To crowd together in an annoying way; to encumber. “Pestered in this pinfold here.” Milton.

All rivers and pools would be so pestered full with fishes that a man would see nothing else. Holland.

There was no pair of stairs, no entry, no lobby, but was pestered with them. Beau. & Fl.