What does mildew mean?

Definitions for mildew
ˈmɪlˌdu, -ˌdyumildew

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word mildew.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. mildew, mold, mouldnoun

    the process of becoming mildewed

  2. mildewverb

    a fungus that produces a superficial (usually white) growth on organic matter

  3. mold, mildewverb

    become moldy; spoil due to humidity

    "The furniture molded in the old house"

Wiktionary

  1. mildewnoun

    A growth of minute powdery or webby fungi, whitish or of different colors, found on various diseased or decaying substances.

  2. mildewverb

    To taint with mildew.

    He . . . mildews the white wheat. --William Shakespeare

  3. mildewverb

    To become tainted with mildew.

  4. Etymology: meledeaw (cf. West Frisian moaldau, Dutch meeldauw, German Mehltau), compound of 'honey' and 'dew'. More at dew.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Mildewnoun

    Mildew is a disease that happens in plants, and is caused by a dewy moisture which falls on them, and continuing, for want of the sun’s heat, to draw it up, by its acrimony corrodes, gnaws, and spoils, the inmost substance of the plant, and hinders the circulation of the nutritive sap; upon which the leaves begin to fade, and the blossoms and fruit are much prejudiced: or, mildew is rather a concrete substance, which exsudes through the pores of the leaves. What the gardeners commonly call mildew is an insect, which is frequently found in great plenty, preying upon this exsudation. Others say, that mildew is a thick, clammy vapour, exhaled in the Spring and Summer from the plants, blossoms, and even the earth itself, in close, still weather, where there is neither sun enough to draw it upwards to any considerable height, nor wind of force strong enough to disperse it: it condenses and falls on plants, and with its thick, clammy substance stops the pores, and by that means prevents perspiration. Miller thinks the true cause of the mildew appearing most upon plants which are exposed to the East, is a dry temperature in the air when the wind blows from that point, which stops the pores of the plants, and prevents their perspiration; whereby the juices of the plants are concreted upon the surface of their leaves, which being of a sweetish nature, insects are inticed thereto, where finding proper nutriment they deposite their eggs, and multiply so fast as to cover the whole surfaces of the plants, and, by corroding the vessels, prevent the motion of the sap. It is observable, that whenever a tree has been greatly affected by this mildew, it seldom recovers it in two or three years, and many times never is intirely clear from it after. Hill.

    Etymology: mildeawe , Saxon.

    Down fell the mildew of his sugred words. Edward Fairfax.

    The mildew cometh by closeness of air; and therefore in hills, or champain grounds, it seldom cometh. Francis Bacon.

    Soon blasting mildews black’ned all the grain. Dryden.

  2. To Mildewverb

    To taint with mildew.

    Here is your husband, like a mildew’d ear,
    Blasting his wholesome brother. William Shakespeare, Hamlet.

    He mildews the white wheat, and hurts the poor creatures of the earth. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

    Morals snatch from Plutarch’s tatter’d page,
    A mildew’d Bacon, or Stagyra’s sage. John Gay, Trivia.

Wikipedia

  1. Mildew

    Mildew is a form of fungus. It is distinguished from its closely related counterpart, mould, largely by its colour: moulds appear in shades of black, blue, red, and green, whereas mildew is white. It appears as a thin, superficial growth consisting of minute hyphae (fungal filaments) produced especially on living plants or organic matter such as wood, paper or leather. Both mould and mildew produce distinct offensive odours, and both have been identified as the cause of certain human ailments. In horticulture, mildew is either species of fungus in the order Erysiphales, or fungus-like organisms in the family Peronosporaceae. It is also used more generally to mean mould growth. In Old English, mildew meant honeydew (a substance secreted by aphids on leaves, formerly thought to distill from the air like dew), and later came to mean mould or fungus. Mildew grows on damp cloth, leather, or on plants, and growing on leaves can damage the plant.

ChatGPT

  1. mildew

    Mildew is a type of fungus that is characterized by a fluffy or powdery white or gray growth, specifically found on organic material subjected to dampness or humidity. This includes living plants, fruits, vegetables, or other damp organic materials. Mildew is also associated with damage to fabrics, paper, leather, etc., and could cause health problems, including allergies and respiratory issues, in humans when indoor environments become infested.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Mildewnoun

    a growth of minute powdery or webby fungi, whitish or of different colors, found on various diseased or decaying substances

  2. Mildewverb

    to taint with mildew

  3. Mildewverb

    to become tainted with mildew

  4. Etymology: [AS. meledew; akin to OHG. militou, G. mehlthau, mehltau; prob. orig. meaning, honeydew; cf. Goth. milip honey. See Mellifluous, and Dew.]

Wikidata

  1. Mildew

    In horticulture, mildew is fungi in the order Erysiphales. It is also used more generally to mean mold growth. In Old English, it meant honeydew, and later came to mean mildew in the modern sense of mold or fungus.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Mildew

    mil′dū, n. a disease on plants, caused by the growth of minute fungi.—v.t. to taint with mildew.—v.i. to become so tainted. [A.S. meledeáw, mele, honey, deáw, dew.]

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of mildew in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of mildew in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of mildew in a Sentence

  1. Daniel Wroclawski:

    Standing water is just not a laughing matter. It can cause mold and mildew and eventual health issues, if they're not responsive within a few hours, you want to start going to someone else.

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Translations for mildew

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