powdery mildew
1
6.5
- noun
- /ˈpaʊdəri ˈmɪlˌdu/
- Specialized
:
mildiú polvoriento
- So far, the rose is very healthy in my no-spray organic garden and has only shown a few leaves with powdery mildew now and then.
- powdery mildew disease
Examples
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Independent studies have shown that most cultivated grapes develop resistance to powdery mildew within 3 to 4 weeks of bloom.
Academic text (2006) -
In the middle of July, Glenn's untreated apple leaves were contorted under the stress of powdery mildew infection.
Academic text (2000) -
And then our squash down here, this one got really smacked with some powdery mildew, like really bad.
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The oil also protects plants against some fungal diseases, including powdery mildew and black spot, says Locke.
Academic text (1997) -
Many diseases found in orchards bear names that are frankly descriptive of symptoms: powdery mildew, sprinkler rot, perennial canker, apple scab.
Fiction book (1999) -
Plants suffering from powdery mildew have a noticeable white growth on their leaves.
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To avoid powdery mildew, ensure that your plants are well spaced to allow for air circulation.
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In hot, dry weather, powdery mildew can spread quickly if plants are not treated properly.
Synonyms
17
2.9
A thin white fungus that grows on damp plants, cloth, or walls
How Severe
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning follows directly from 'powdery' (having a fine powder-like texture) modifying 'mildew' (a whitish or powdery fungal growth); together they describe a powder-like fungal disease on plant surfaces. This compositional, descriptive pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
The plant disease powdery mildew gets its name from the white, flour-like dust you can see on leaves. The word powdery points to that dusty look and mildew means a kind of 'plant disease', so the name helps you remember it is a disease that makes a white powder on leaves.