blight

blight

English

Etymology

Uncertain, however given that it was used at one point to refer to inflammation of the skin [1], quite possibly from Middle English *bleighte, *bleȝte, from Old English blǣcþa (“leprosy”) (related to Old English blǣċo (“paleness, leprosy”) and blǣċe (“an itching skin-disease”)); or from Old Norse blikna (“to grow pallid”).[2] Related to bleak.

Pronunciation

• enPR: blīt, IPA^(key): /blaɪt/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪt
• Homophone: blite

Noun

blight (countable and uncountable, plural blights)

1. (phytopathology) A rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral organs.
   • 1922, William H. Ukers, All About Coffee‎:

     A blight in 1855–56 set back the industry, many plantations being ruined and then given over to sugar cane. After the blight had disappeared, the plantations were re-established, and prosperity continued for years.

2. The bacterium, virus or fungus that causes such a condition.
3. (by extension) Anything that impedes growth or development or spoils any other aspect of life.
   • 1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, OCLC 145080417:

     He saw her image in the blight and blackness all around him, not irradiating but deepening the gloom.

   • 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide

     She moved about the country like a ghost, gathering herbs in dark loanings, lingering in kirkyairds, and casting a blight on innocent bairns.

Hyponyms

• alder blight
• American blight
• aphis-blight
• apple blight
• bean blight
• beet blight
• blister blight
• cane blight
• celery blight
• chestnut blight
• coffee blight
• collar blight
• early blight
• fire blight
• fireblight
• frictional blight
• functional blight
• fusarium ear blight
• fusarium head blight
• green blight
• halo blight
• head blight
• kernel blight
• late blight
• leaf blight
• moth blight
• needle blight
• northern corn-leaf blight
• northern leaf blight
• oak blight
• peach blight
• pear blight
• pine blight
• planning blight
• potato blight
• rim blight
• sandy blight
• seedling blight
• southern blight
• Sphaeropsis blight
• spinach blight
• spur blight
• stamen blight
• stem blight
• stripe blight
• thread blight
• tomato blight
• twig blight
• urban blight
• walnut blight

 

Derived terms

• blighten

Derived terms

• blight-beetle
• blight bird
• blight canker
• blighted
• blight in the eye
• blighty

 

Translations

plant disease

Bulgarian: главня (bg) f (glavnja), ръжда (bg) f (rǎžda) Chinese: Mandarin: 枯萎病 (zh) Finnish: polte (fi), rutto (fi) French: fléau (fr) m, rouille (fr) f, cloque (fr) f German: Braunfäule f Irish: dúchan f Latin: ūrēdō f, rōbīgō f Maori: mahaki, paraiti, kōmae Polish: zgnilizna (pl) f Russian: ожо́г (ru) m (ožóg), ми́лдью (ru) n (míldʹju) Scottish Gaelic: gaiseadh m Spanish: mildiu m, tizón (es) m Telugu: తెగులు (te) (tegulu)

agent of this disease

anything that impedes growth or spoils something

Bulgarian: вредител (bg) m (vreditel) Finnish: vitsaus (fi), jonkin pilaaja French: fléau (fr) German: Geißel (de) f, Seuche (de) f, Plage (de) f, Heimsuchung (de) f, Übel (de) n Italian: rovina (it) f Russian: вреди́тель (ru) m (vredítelʹ) Spanish: mal (es) m, plaga (es) f

Verb

blight (third-person singular simple present blights, present participle blighting, simple past and past participle blighted)

1. (transitive) To affect with blight; to blast; to prevent the growth and fertility of.
   • 1695, John Woodward, “(please specify the page)”, in An Essay toward a Natural History of the Earth: And Terrestrial Bodies, Especially Minerals: […], London: […] Ric[hard] Wilkin […], OCLC 1179517876:

     [This vapour] blasts vegetables, blights corn and fruit, and is sometimes injurious even to Men.

2. (intransitive) To suffer blight.

   This vine never blights.

3. (transitive) To spoil, ruin, or destroy (something).

   Those obscene tattoos are going to blight your job prospects.

   • 1841, Catherine Sinclair, Modern Flirtations‎:

     Even he, cold and indifferent as he is, shall repent! I shall blight his hopes, as he has blighted mine.

   • 1869 May, Anthony Trollope, “Lady Milborough as Ambassador”, in He Knew He Was Right, volume I, London: Strahan and Company, […], OCLC 1118026626, page 81:

     I need hardly explain to you that if you persist in this refusal you and I cannot continue to live together as man and wife. All my hopes and prospects in life will be blighted by such a separation.

   • 1876, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hartford, Conn.: The American Publishing Company, OCLC 1000326417, page 40:

     […] would she drop one little tear upon his poor, lifeless form, would she heave one little sigh to see a bright young life so rudely blighted, so untimely cut down?

Derived terms

• blighter
• blighting
• blightingly

Translations

to cause to suffer blight

French: abîmer (fr)

to suffer blight

French: être abîmé (fr)

to spoil or ruin (something)

Bulgarian: повреждам (bg) (povreždam), разстройвам (bg) (razstrojvam), развалям (bg) (razvaljam) Finnish: pilata (fi), turmella (fi) French: abîmer (fr) German: beschädigen (de), ruinieren (de), verderben (de), vernichten (de), zerstören (de) Italian: rovinare (it) Norwegian: spolere Russian: вреди́ть (ru) (vredítʹ), разруша́ть (ru) (razrušátʹ)

References

1. “blight”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
2. Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “blight”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Further reading

• blight on Wikipedia.Wikipedia