fire blight

noun

: a destructive infectious disease especially of apples, pears, and related fruits caused by a bacterium (Erwinia amylovora)

Examples of fire blight in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Callery pear was introduced in breeding programs in the U.S. because it was known to resist fire blight, a disease affecting pear and apple trees. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 Bradford pear trees crowd out native plants Bradford pear trees are a variety of the Callery pear, which was introduced to the U.S. from Asia in the early 1900s in an attempt to fight fire blight, a disease that affected common pear trees. Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 And the culprit for this sounds like a disease called fire blight. Steve Bender, Southern Living, 31 May 2025 Apples are susceptible to several serious diseases, including apple scab, cedar-apple rust, fire blight and powdery mildew. Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fire blight

Word History

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fire blight was in 1742

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Cite this Entry

“Fire blight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fire%20blight. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

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