Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
yellow dwarf

yellow dwarf

8.7
A plant virus that makes leaves turn yellow and plants stay small
  • noun
  • /ˈjɛloʊ dwɔrf/
  • Specialized
translation icon : enfermedad enana amarilla
  • Symptoms of yellow dwarf usually appear in early spring, stunting plant growth.

Examples

  • The yellow dwarf virus affected the entire crop.

  • Farmers reported seeing yellow dwarfs in their fields.

  • Barley crops infected with yellow dwarf often show severe leaf yellowing and reduced yield.

  • Scientists are developing resistant varieties to combat yellow dwarf in wheat fields.

  • The plants showed signs of stunted growth due to the infection by the yellow dwarf virus.

  • Farmers often struggle with crops affected by yellow dwarf diseases that lead to yellowing leaves.

  • Managing yellow dwarf infections in crops is crucial for ensuring a healthy harvest.

Surface Forms

yellow dwarf singular
yellow dwarfs plural

Morphology

yellow + dwarf

The term denotes plants showing yellowing and stunted (dwarfed) growth, so its meaning is directly compositional from 'yellow' (leaf discoloration) + 'dwarf' (reduced size). This symptom-descriptive compound follows ordinary English compounding patterns and would be inferable by a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

The name yellow dwarf may come from farmers who saw plants with yellow leaves that stayed dwarf, meaning very small, after they got the disease. So the phrase now means a plant illness that makes leaves turn 'yellow' and plants grow 'small'.