preemergence

American

[pree-i-mur-juhns] / ˌpri ɪˈmɜr dʒəns /

Or pre-emergence

adjective

occurring or applied before the emergence of a plant from the soil.

preemergence herbicide.

Etymology

Origin of preemergence

First recorded in 1930–35; pre- + emergence

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Depending on the season, seedling diseases-which include preemergence damping off-can take a large percentage of the U.S. cotton crop.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023