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late blight

noun Plant Pathology.

a disease of plants, especially potatoes, celery, etc., characterized by spotting, blighting, and withering or decay of the entire plant, caused by any of several fungi, as Phytophthora infestans or Septoria apii.

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Origin of late blight

First recorded in 1900–05

Words nearby late blight

latch needle, latch on, latch onto, latchstring, late, late blight, late bloomer, late-blooming, late charge, latecomer, lated
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Scientific definitions for late blight

late blight
[ lāt ]

A disease of potato plants caused by the oomycete organism Phytophthora infestans and characterized by decay of the foliage and tubers. An outbreak of late blight led to widespread famine in Ireland in 1845-1850.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.