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.
Nearby words
latching, latchkey, latchkey child, latchstring, late, late blight, late bloomer, late charge, late greek, late hebrew, late in life
Origin of late blight
First recorded in 1900–05
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Science 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
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