mildew
Americannoun
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Plant Pathology. a disease of plants, characterized by a cottony, usually whitish coating on the surface of affected parts, caused by any of various fungi.
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any of these fungi.
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any of similar coatings or discolorations, caused by fungi, as that which appears on fabrics, paper, leather, etc., when exposed to moisture.
verb (used with or without object)
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mildews,
present (3rd person singular)
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mildewed,
past participle, past
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mildewing
present participle
noun
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any of various diseases of plants that affect mainly the leaves and are caused by parasitic fungi See also downy mildew powdery mildew
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any fungus causing this kind of disease
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another name for mould 2
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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mildewsimple
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mildewssimple
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have mildewedperfect
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has mildewedperfect
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am mildewingprogressive
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are mildewingprogressive
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is mildewingprogressive
-
have been mildewingperfect progressive
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has been mildewingperfect progressive
Past
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mildewedsimple
-
had mildewedperfect
-
was mildewingprogressive
-
were mildewingprogressive
-
had been mildewingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mildew
before 1000; Middle English: honeydew, mildew; Old English mildēaw, equivalent to mil- honey (cognate with Gothic milith, akin to Latin mel, Greek méli ) + dēaw dew
Explanation
Mildew is a kind of fungus that grows in damp environments. If you find a white, musty-smelling powder on a book that's been stored in the basement, it's probably mildew. Yuck! Mildew and mold are closely related — mildew is a less harmful kind of fungus, though both can cause breathing problems. While mildew is almost always white, mold is darker and fuzzier. Since dampness causes mildew to spread, keeping things dry (possibly with the help of a dehumidifier or air conditioner) can help prevent it. The stickiness of plant mildew helps explain the word's etymology. It comes from a root meaning "honeydew."
Vocabulary lists containing mildew
James and the Giant Peach
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How to Steal a Dog
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I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He said mildew is a common regional issue his team fixes as necessary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
When tested on wheat, these compounds helped protect against fungal infections such as powdery mildew.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2025
US defender Chastain vividly remembers the conditions - "the water dripping from the ceiling, the mildew - you can smell it".
From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2024
Last month, inspectors found what appeared to be mold and mildew around the hand-washing sinks used by workers preparing ready-to-eat meats, CBS News reported.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2024
The floor was made of warped planks lull of splinters, and his sleeping pallet smelled of mildew, but those discomforts were mild compared to what Davos had expected.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
All regions suffered from factors ranging from droughts and floods to water shortages and unexpected mildews.
From Salon ● May 1, 2024
Some fungi take the form of molds and mildews, which are commonly seen on rotting food.
From Textbooks ● Sep. 6, 2018
In particular, he and his team are working on alternative treatments for common vine mildews; the conventional one, copper sulphate, accumulates in soil in doses that are toxic to wildlife.
From Nature ● Dec. 19, 2012
Investigating the riot of fungus, lichens, molds, smuts and mildews that festooned the place, Beebe discovered Protozoa, Coelenterata, Platyhelminthes, Nemathelminthes, and Rotifera, and was certain of the existence of Mollusca, Oligochaeta, Hirundinea and Arthropoda.
From Time Magazine Archive
The vine is susceptible to the mildews and in many localities does not yield well.
From Manual of American Grape-Growing by U. P. Hedrick
When Bill first saw her small, shabby, mildewed lab space, she was momentarily ashamed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
For me to even open an envelope meant a trip to my stepmother’s house, where the precious cache was moldering in a mildewed basement.
From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2025
Today, Vicksburg is a destination for faux steamboats and tour buses half-filled with aging Civil War buffs and gamblers drawn to its storied battleground and mildewed casinos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2023
Getting pricked by a thorn is not only painful, but a mildewed thorn can cause a serious illness.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 5, 2022
At last she lay down on the floor, annoyed, and stared at the mildewed ceiling.
From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder
If your bathroom is cramped, super-plush towels will be a challenge to store and might not dry quickly enough to avoid mildewing.
From Slate ● Jan. 4, 2019
Eventually, the family sold the mildewing house, with its grand veranda and inner courtyard, and moved into a three-room flat.
From The New Yorker ● May 2, 2016
Now, I was wearing rapidly mildewing clothes and getting crushed by a Slovak and a Brit in a multinational game of Monopoly.
From New York Times ● May 1, 2012
Gun dealers all over the Gulf Coast region were driven out of business by the hurricane, and they sent their wet and mildewing records to Martinsburg.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 26, 2010
He could smell Tuf-Skin and ankle tape, week-old perspiration, moist towels mildewing in forgotten lockers, foot powder, ammonia, and unwashed socks.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
