phony disease

noun

variants or less commonly phony peach
: a serious virus disease of the peach that causes dwarfing, abnormally dark green leaves, and a light crop of small but highly colored fruit, makes the trees stop bearing after a few years, and is of lesser importance on almond, apricot, nectarine, and plum

Word History

Etymology

phony alteration (influenced by phony entry 1) of pony entry 1; from the dwarfing effect of the disease

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near phony disease

Cite this Entry

“Phony disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phony%20disease. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!