corn smut


noun
  1. a disease of corn caused by a fungus, Ustilago maydis, and characterized by blackish, powdery masses of spores on the affected parts of the plant.

Origin of corn smut

1
First recorded in 1880–85

Words Nearby corn smut

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for corn smut

corn smut

noun
  1. an ascomycetous parasitic fungus, Ustilago zeae, that causes gall-like deformations on maize grain

  2. the condition produced by this fungus

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