The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Rinderpest \Rin"der*pest\ (r[i^]n"d[~e]r*p[e^]st), n. [G., fr.
   rind, pl. rinder, cattle + pest pest, plague.]
   A highly contagious distemper or murrain, affecting neat
   cattle, and less commonly sheep and goats; -- called also
   cattle plague, Russian cattle plague, and steppe
   murrain.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

rinderpest
    n 1: an acute infectious viral disease of cattle (usually
         fatal); characterized by fever and diarrhea and
         inflammation of mucous membranes [syn: rinderpest,
         cattle plague]