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root rot

American  

noun

Plant Pathology.

  1. a symptom or phase of many diseases of plants, characterized by discoloration and decay of the roots.

  2. any disease so characterized.

Etymology

Origin of root rot

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

Too much water can lead to Armillaria root disease, a deadly form of root rot.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2025

The research team zeroed in on Globisporangium ultimum, a major soil-borne oomycete responsible for damping-off and root rot in many plant species.

From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2024

These fast-draining mixes help reduce the risk of overwatering, which can lead to root rot.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 7, 2024

Excess water can promote the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi, as well as contribute to root rot.

From Salon • Mar. 20, 2023

I think you will have more loss from sunscald and root rot than you will from blight.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Thirty-Eighth Annual Meeting Guelph, Ontario, September 3, 4, 5, 1947 by Northern Nut Growers Association

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.