dieback

American  

[dahy-bak] / ˈdaɪˌbæk /

noun

Plant Pathology.

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

---

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

---

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

Example Sentences

"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

The Ash dieback fungus originated in Asia and was introduced to Europe about 30 years ago.

From BBC

A separate study, published last week, made a similar warning of possible significant dieback of the Amazon if global warming exceeds the international target of 1.5C.

From BBC

In this new study, Bos and co-authors show that the ferns, which took advantage of the dieback of forests, themselves were subjected to stress from Hg-pollution well beyond the immediate extinction interval.

From Science Daily

If crossed, this could lead to the rapid and irreversible dieback of the whole rainforest - potentially leading to the region becoming a significant source of CO2 emissions.

From BBC