dieback

American  

[dahy-bak] / ˈdaɪˌbæk /

noun

Plant Pathology.

1. a condition in a plant in which the branches or shoots die from the tip inward, caused by any of several bacteria, fungi, or viruses or by certain environmental conditions.

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dieback British  

/ ˈdaɪˌbæk /

noun

1. a disease of trees and shrubs characterized by death of the young shoots, which spreads to the larger branches: caused by injury to the roots or attack by bacteria or fungi

2. any similar condition of herbaceous plants

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verb

1. (intr, adverb) (of plants) to suffer from dieback

Etymology

Origin of dieback

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; die ¹ + back ²

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dieback

Soon enough, trees everywhere were showing blotchy, mottled, yellowed leaves and suffering from twig dieback and sparse foliage.

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

"Already at 1.4C of global warming, warm water coral reefs are crossing their thermal tipping point and experiencing unprecedented dieback," said the report by 160 scientists from dozens of global research institutions.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2025

When ash dieback arrived in 2012, predictions suggested up to 85% of ash trees could be lost.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2025

Cultural evolution among groups would tend to exacerbate resource competition and could lead to direct conflict between groups and even global human dieback.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 2, 2024

In many cases the subsequent dieback of the twigs may extend only a few inches, but sometimes the injury involves not only the past season's growth but that of three or even four years back.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the 41st Annual Meeting Pleasant Valley, New York, August 28, 29 and 30, 1950 by Northern Nut Growers Association

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