fire blight


noun Plant Pathology.

a disease of pears, apples, quinces, etc., characterized by blossom, twig, and fruit blight and stem cankers, caused by a bacterium, Erwinia amylovora.

Origin of fire blight

First recorded in 1740–50; from the burnt look of the foliage

Example sentences from the Web for fire blight

British Dictionary definitions for fire blight

fire blight

noun

a disease of apples, pears, and similar fruit trees, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora and characterized by blackening of the blossoms and leaves, and cankers on the branches