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Glite Dictionary
🐑 Animal foot disease 🌱 Plant stem decay
foot rot

foot rot

6.2
A disease that makes the base of a plant's stem or trunk decay, often after too much water
  • noun
  • /fʊt rɑt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : podredumbre de pie
  • Preventive treatments can reduce the risk of foot rot in susceptible crops.

Examples

  • The farmer discovered foot rot in his crops.

  • Gardeners should check for signs of foot rot at the base of their plants after heavy rains.

  • The vineyard suffered significant losses due to foot rot affecting many young vines.

  • Proper drainage can prevent foot rot in plants.

  • foot rot often leads to severe decay at the base of the plant's stem, requiring immediate treatment.

  • Farmers are concerned that foot rot can devastate their crops if not managed properly.

  • After the heavy rain, signs of foot rot appeared in several plants, indicating a fungal infection.

Synonyms

rot
vsfoot rot
24 1.6

The breaking down of things like food or wood by bacteria and mold

refers to a specific plant disease attacking the lower stem rather than general decay
rotting
vsfoot rot
3 3.4

The breaking down of dead plants and animals by bacteria or fungi

describes the general process, not the specific plant disease at the stem base

How Severe

dry rot
  • Specialized
3 6.3
root rot
  • Specialized
1 5.0
foot rot
  • Specialized
6.2
stem blight
  • Specialized
6.9
to die back
  • Specialized
1 6.7

Surface Forms

foot rot singular
foot rots plural

Morphology

foot + rot

The meaning is directly built from 'foot' (here understood as the base or lowest part of a plant/stem) + 'rot' (decay); together they straightforwardly denote decay at the plant's base. This compositional mapping is predictable and, given the plant context, a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Foot rot for plants comes from the same picture: the plant's lower stem, its 'foot', begins to rot at ground level after too much water or disease, so the plant weakens and may die. That's why it means 'decay at the base of the stem'.