late blight

noun

: a disease of solanaceous plants (such as the potato and tomato) that is caused by a fungus (Phytophthora infestans) and is characterized by decay of stems, leaves, and in the potato also of tubers

Examples of late blight in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Both tomatoes were bred using West Virginia ’63 as the parent fruit and boasted resistance to late blight as well as to Septoria leaf spot, a defoliating disease that exposes the fruit to sunburn. Ashley Stimpson, Washington Post, 15 June 2024 Avoid late blight in the first place by planting tomato varieties that have late blight resistance. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2023 There are two distinct types of tomato blight—early blight and late blight. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2023 Spray potatoes and tomatoes for early and late blight. Trade-name products and services are mentioned as illustrations only. oregonlive, 1 Aug. 2022 Within these genebanks, researchers have already identified a gene in wild potatoes that could help breed modern varieties to withstand late blight, the world’s most damaging disease for potato crops. Claudia Sadoff, Fortune, 23 Dec. 2021 Coastal and Western valleys: Spray susceptible varieties of potatoes and tomatoes for early and late blight. oregonlive, 1 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'late blight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of late blight was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near late blight

Cite this Entry

“Late blight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/late%20blight. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on late blight

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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