blight
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: blīt
ipa: /blaɪt/
rhymes: -aɪt
homophone: blite
Forms: form: blights
Etymology: The etymology of the noun is uncertain; suggested derivations include the following:
* possibly related to Middle English blichening (“mildew or rust on grain, blight”), possibly related to Middle English bliken (“to gleam, shine; to turn pale”), from Old English blīcan (“to shine, sparkle”) (whence modern English blike (“(obsolete) to gleam, shine”); also compare Old Norse blikna (“to grow pallid”)), from Proto-West Germanic *blīkan (“to shine”), from Proto-Germanic *blīkaną (“to gleam, shine”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleyǵ- (“to shine”); or
* since sense 2.2 is a diseased condition of the skin, possibly from Middle English *bleighte, *bleȝte, from Old English blǣcþa (“leprosy”) (related to blǣċe (“an itching skin-disease”) and blǣċo (“leprosy; paleness”)), from Proto-West Germanic *blaik, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *blaikaz (“pale; white”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleyǵ- (“to shine”). If so, the word is a doublet of bleak.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Senses: examples: text: Proceed, inhuman Parent in thy Scorn; / Root up my Trees, vvith Blites deſtroy my Corn; / My Vineyards Ruin, and my Sheepfolds burn.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “The Fourth Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 136, lines 467–469:
text: As ſudden blights corrupt the ripen'd grain, / And of its verdure ſpoil the mournful plain; / So hapleſs love on blooming features preys, / So hapleſs love deſtroys our peaceful days.
ref: 1720, John Gay, “[Miscellanies.] Panthea. An Elegy.”, in Poems on Several Occasions, volume II, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], and Bernard Lintot, […], →OCLC, page 388, lines 337–340:
text: Some there are vvho imagine the moſt deſtructive Blights vvhich attend Fruit-Trees, are produc'd by ſmall Shovvers of Rain, or vvhite Hoar-Froſts falling upon the Bloſſoms of Fruit-trees, vvhich being ſucceeded by cold North or Eaſterly VVinds, or froſty Mornings, are the Occaſion of the frequent Blights vvhich happen in the Spring Seaſon: […]
ref: 1733, Philip Miller, “BLIGHTS”, in The Gardeners Dictionary: […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […], →OCLC, column 1:
text: 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.
ref: 1922, William H[arrison] Ukers, “Cultivation of the Coffee Plant”, in All About Coffee, New York, N.Y.: The Tea and Coffee Trade Journal Company, →OCLC, page 241, column 1:
topics: biology
botany
medicine
natural-sciences
pathology
phytopathology
sciences
glosses: A diseased condition suffered by a plant; specifically, a complete and rapid chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as floral organs, leaves, branches, or twigs, especially one caused by a fungus; a mildew, a rust, a smut.
topics: biology
botany
medicine
natural-sciences
pathology
phytopathology
sciences
glosses: The cause of such a condition, often unseen but believed to be airborne; specifically, a bacterium, a virus, or (especially) a fungus; also, an aphid which attacks fruit trees.
examples: text: And the youth stood by thy side and whispered to thee; and from his lips there came a reeking smoke, and in that smoke as in a blight the wings withered up.
ref: 1848, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter IV, in Harold, the Last of the Saxon Kings; […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, book VIII (Fate), page 261:
glosses: A state of cloudy, humid weather.
topics: medicine
pathology
sciences
glosses: A diseased condition of the face or skin; specifically, bleeding under the conjunctiva of the eye, a form of skin rash, or a palsy of the face due to cold.
examples: text: But a blight had come over my existence, and I only visited these people for the sake of the information they might give me on the subject in which my interest was so terribly profound.
ref: 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter II, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume III, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, page 22:
text: He saw her image in the blight and blackness all around him, not irradiating but deepening the gloom.
ref: 1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, “Mr. Dombey Goes Upon a Journey”, in Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 201:
text: She moved about the country like a ghost, gathering herbs in dark loanings, lingering in kirkyairds, and casting a blight on innocent bairns.
ref: 1902 January, John Buchan, “The Outgoing of the Tide”, in The Watcher by the Threshold, and Other Tales, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1902, →OCLC, page 231:
glosses: Something that impedes development or growth, or spoils any other aspect of life.
glosses: A rundown and unsightly condition of an urban area; also, such an area.
Hyponyms: topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: alder blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: American blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: aphis-blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: apple blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: bean blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: beet blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: blister blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: bur oak blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: cane blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: celery blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: chestnut blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: coffee blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: collar blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: early blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: fireblight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: fire blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: fusarium ear blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: fusarium head blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: green blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: halo blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: head blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: kernel blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: late blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: leaf blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: moth blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: needle blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: northern corn-leaf blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: northern leaf blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: oak blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: peach blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: pear blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: pine blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: potato blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: rim blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: sandy blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: seedling blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: southern blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: Sphaeropsis blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: spinach blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: spur blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: stamen blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: stem blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: stripe blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: sun blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: thread blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: tomato blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: twig blight
topics: phytopathology
botany
pathology
medicine
sciences
biology
natural-sciences
word: walnut blight
Derived terms: blight-beetle
blight bird
blight canker
blighten
blight in the eye
blightscape
blighty
eye blight
frictional blight
functional blight
Irish blight
planning blight
urban blight