powdery mildew

noun

any of various parasitic fungi of the ascomycete order Erysiphales, which produce a powderlike film of mycelium on the surface of host plants.

Plant Pathology. a disease caused by powdery mildew, characterized by yellowing and death of the foliage and a white mealy growth of fungus on the surface of above-ground parts.

Nearby words

powder-puff, powdered milk, powdered sugar, powderman, powdery, powdery mildew, powell, powell, colin, power, power amplifier, power assist

Origin of powdery mildew

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for powdery mildew

powdery mildew

noun

a plant disease characterized by a superficial white powdery growth on stems and leaves, caused by parasitic ascomycetous fungi of the family Erysiphaceae: affects the rose, aster, apple, vine, oak, etc

any of the fungi causing this disease

Compare downy mildew

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for powdery mildew

powdery mildew

[ pou′də-rē ]

Any of various important plant diseases caused by fungi, especially those of the family Erysiphaceae, which produce powdery conidia on the surface of the hosts leaves and stems.