late blight

noun

, Plant Pathology.

1. a disease of plants, especially potatoes, celery, etc., characterized by spotting, blighting, and withering or decay of the entire plant, caused by any of several fungi, as Phytophthora infestans or Septoria apii.

late blight

/ lāt /

1. A disease of potato plants caused by the oomycete organism Phytophthora infestans and characterized by decay of the foliage and tubers. An outbreak of late blight led to widespread famine in Ireland in 1845-1850.

Word History and Origins

Origin of late blight¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

The study also used text analysis to track social media feeds for the modern-day spread of late blight.

From Science Daily

The good news about late blight in tomatoes — the disease best known as the cause of the 19th-century Irish potato famine — is that it doesn’t happen every year.

From Seattle Times

You might sacrifice a few tomatoes but it's worth it because when a deadly disease like late blight makes the rounds in your area, good air movement can help prevent its spread.

From Salon

Peaking in 1847, the famine resulted from a toxic combination of a stratified social structure, imperial governance, poor farming practices and late blight.

From Seattle Times

Those potatoes can be susceptible to late blight, a disease that rots them.

From Washington Times