citrus greening

noun

variants or citrus greening disease

: a destructive disease of citrus plants that is caused by a bacterium (genus Liberibacter) transmitted by plant lice (Diaphorina citri of Asia and Trioza erytreae of Africa) and is characterized especially by small, often misshapen fruits which typically retain some green coloring even when ripe and by yellow mottling of the leaves with progressive yellowing of the entire plant see asian citrus psyllid

Examples of citrus greening in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While there are plenty of reasons for a downturn in orange production — climate change, Donald Trump’s trade wars, suburban development — perhaps none are as ravaging as citrus greening disease, a bacterial infection that slowly chokes orange trees from the inside out. —Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 23 Apr. 2026

Florida’s citrus industry has been in a steady decline the past 25 years because of Huanglongbing (also known as HLB and citrus greening disease), a bacterial disease that devastates citrus trees. —Jim Turner, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026

Give your trees complete care to prevent the spread of citrus greening by applying an insecticide as the new leaves develop. —Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026

Severe weather and citrus greening disease have lowered Brix levels in fruit, forcing producers to import sweeter juice – often from Mexico and Brazil – to blend with theirs in order to meet federal standards, according to the FDA. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for citrus greening

• contravening
• intervening
• overweening
• supervening
• careening
• convening
• demeaning
• housecleaning
• machining
• unmeaning
• cleaning
• gleaning