blight (blit)

[First certain instances in Cotgrave and Sherwood, 17th century; later also blight blind-born spelled blite. Origin unknown; the various explanations offered all fail for lack of evidence.] 1. Some influence, usually hidden or not conspicuous, that nips, blasts, or destroys plants; a diseased state of plants caused by the condition of the soil, atmospheric influences, insects, parasitic plants, etc.; smut, mildew, or the like. În botany it is sometimes restricted to a cla of minute parasitic fungi, the Erysiphaceæ, which grow upon the surface of leaves or stems without entering the ti ues, and produce a whitish appearance, but is frequently applied also to those of other groups which are destructive to crops. The garden fears no blight , and needs no fence. Cowper , Task, vi. 772. IMG:content-2182.png:[blocks in formation] The biting presence of a petty degrading care, such as casts the blight of irony over all higher effort. George Eliot, Middle march, II. 178. 3. In med.: (a) A slight facial paralysis induced by sudden cold or damp. (b) See blights. -Bladder-blight, a disease of peach-trees caused by the parasitic fungus Exoascus deformans, which produces inflated distortions in the leaves. See Exoascus. - Pear blight, an epidemic disease attacking pear-trees, also known as fire - blight, and when affecting the apple and quince as twig - blight, caused by a microscopic fungus, Micrococcus amylovorus, one of the bacteria. Also called anthrax and sun -scald. IMG:content-2183.png:[blocks in formation] blasted. blighted (bli'ted), p. a. Smitten with blight; blighting (bli'ting), p. a. Producing the effects of blight. I found it [Tin to ret to's house] had nothing to offer me but the usual number of commonplace rooms in the usual blighting state of restoration. Howells , Venetian Life, xv. blightingly (bli'ting-li), adv . By blighting; with blighting influence or effect.