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Glite Dictionary
spinach blight

spinach blight

6.8
A disease that makes spinach leaves turn yellow and wilt
  • noun
  • /ˈspɪnɪtʃ blaɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mildiú de la espinaca
  • Yellowed leaves on the plants were an early sign of spinach blight.

Examples

  • The farmers lost much of their crop to spinach blight this year.

  • Careful crop rotation can help prevent spinach blight in the garden.

  • The farmer discovered spinach blight in his field.

  • Have you seen any signs of spinach blight this season?

  • Farmers often treat spinach blight promptly to save their crops from damage.

  • The presence of yellowing leaves indicated that the spinach blight had spread rapidly.

  • After noticing the wilting plants, the gardener feared that spinach blight had infected the entire patch.

Synonyms

blight
vsspinach blight
  • Specialized
7 7.3

A plant disease that makes leaves and stems die without rotting

is a disease specific to one crop causing yellowing and wilting
leaf blight
vsspinach blight
6.8

A plant disease that makes leaves turn brown and fall early

causes yellowing and wilting rather than browning and falling

Surface Forms

spinach blight singular
spinach blights plural

Morphology

spinach + blight

The meaning 'a disease affecting spinach' is directly and compositionally derived from 'spinach' (the plant) + 'blight' (a plant disease). This noun+noun combination follows a regular, transparent pattern (e.g. 'potato blight', 'corn blight') and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

The term spinach blight puts the plant name spinach together with blight, a word for a sudden plant disease that makes leaves go yellow and wilt. That's why the phrase means 'a disease that makes spinach leaves go yellow and die'.