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n. 1. a. Any of numerous plant diseases resulting in sudden conspicuous wilting and dying of affected parts, especially young, growing tissues. b. The condition or causative agent, such as a bacterium, fungus, or virus, that results in blight. 2. a. An agent or action that harms or ruins the value or success of something: "the heavy-handed, moralistic parenting that was the blight of the traditional family" (Theodore Roszack). b. A condition or result of harmful or ruinous action: policies that lifted the city from economic blight. v. blight·ed, blight·ing, blights v.tr. 1. To cause (a plant, for example) to undergo blight. 2. To have a deleterious effect on; ruin. See Synonyms at blast. v.intr. To suffer blight. [Origin unknown.] |
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