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
Words nearby fire blight
fire area,
fire away,
fire balloon,
fire beetle,
fire blanket,
fire blight,
fire boss,
fire brigade,
fire cherry,
fire chief,
fire clay
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