sunscald

noun

sun·​scald ˈsən-ˌskȯld How to pronounce sunscald (audio)
: an injury of woody plants (such as fruit or forest trees) characterized by localized death of the tissues and sometimes by cankers and caused when it occurs in the summer by the combined action of both the heat and light of the sun and in the winter by the combined action of sun and low temperature to produce freezing of bark and underlying tissues

Examples of sunscald 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.
This is white drupelet disorder, which is a fancy way of saying sunscald. Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, 8 Aug. 2019 Most that lean over are left to rest on their sides to ripen, but sometimes these suffer sunscald that damages the fruit. Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 27 July 2019 And if any of those new plants happens to be an oak or Chinese pistachio, wrap its trunk with paper tree wrap to protect the thin bark from sunscald and invasion by borers. Neil Sperry, star-telegram, 11 July 2018 Lay the tops of one row over the bulbs of another to help prevent sunscald. The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, 1 Feb. 2018 Heat Injury Temperatures that are too high cause sunscald of fruits, leaves, or trunks on the sunny side of the plant. The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, 21 July 2015 By either name, wrap that trunk for this year and next to prevent sunscald and decay. Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 27 Apr. 2018 Wrap trunks of new oaks and Chinese pistachios to protect them from sunscald and borer invasion. Neil Sperry, star-telegram, 16 Feb. 2018 Stem canker problems can develop as a result of stem injury such as sunscald, winter injury or wounding. OregonLive.com, 1 Nov. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sunscald was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near sunscald

Cite this Entry

“Sunscald.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunscald. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on sunscald

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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