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Glite Dictionary
head smut

head smut

9.9
A fungal disease that makes corn or sorghum flowers turn into a black spore mass covered by a thin skin
  • noun
  • /hɛd smʌt/
  • Specialized
: mugre de la espiga
  • Proper crop rotation can help reduce the incidence of head smut in the field.

Examples

  • Researchers are working to breed resistant varieties to prevent head smut from damaging sorghum crops.

  • The farmer was concerned when he saw head smut developing on several ears of corn.

  • The corn was affected by head smut this season.

  • Farmers are concerned about head smut in their crops.

  • Proper crop rotation can help reduce the incidence of head smut in the field.

  • Researchers are working to breed resistant varieties to prevent head smut from damaging sorghum crops.

  • The farmer was concerned when he saw head smut developing on several ears of corn.

Synonyms

smut
vshead smut
  • Specialized
1 9.4

A plant disease that makes black powder on grain plants like wheat

is the particular disease that replaces the flowering head in corn and sorghum
smuts
vshead smut
  • Specialized
1 8.9

A disease caused by a fungus that makes dark powdery spots on grain plants

is specific to certain crops where the flowering head is replaced by spores
covered smut
vshead smut
  • Specialized
9.9

A disease of grain caused by a fungus that makes dark powder inside the husks

affects the flowering part and replaces it with a black spore mass

Surface Forms

head smut singular
head smuts plural

Morphology

head + smut

The term is compositionally built: 'smut' denotes a fungal disease with black spores and 'head' specifies the affected plant part (the flowering head), so the meaning is a smut disease of the head. This locative, modifier+noun pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The name head smut comes from a simple image: the plant's head (the flower or ear) is taken over by smut, a dark fungus that turns the head into a black mass of spores covered by a thin skin. So head smut literally describes this 'plant disease' on corn and sorghum.