chalkbrood

noun

chalk·​brood ˈchȯk-ˌbrüd How to pronounce chalkbrood (audio)
: a disease of honeybees that is fatal to developing larvae and is caused by a fungus (Ascophaera apis)

Note: Larva affected with chalkbrood become covered by a white, woolly growth and then harden to a chalky white to grayish-black mass.

Examples of chalkbrood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In this new study, the authors looked at whether propolis helped stop a fungal infection called chalkbrood that kills larvae. Sarah Zhang, Discover Magazine, 2 Apr. 2012 And when colonies got infected with chalkbrood, bees went looking for resins more often. Sarah Zhang, Discover Magazine, 2 Apr. 2012

Word History

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chalkbrood was in 1974

Dictionary Entries Near chalkbrood

Cite this Entry

“Chalkbrood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chalkbrood. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!