black canker
"Black canker" can refer to plant diseases, insect larvae, or an archaic medical condition, depending on the context.
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Definition
B2Botany
(technical)A disease causing dark, sunken lesions on plant stems, leaves, or fruit, usually due to fungal or bacterial infection.
Example
- The willow tree showed signs of black canker, with its shoots turning black and shriveling.
C1Entomology
(technical)The larva of the turnip sawfly, appearing as a black caterpillar and considered an agricultural pest.
Example
- Farmers were concerned about the black canker larvae infesting their turnip crops.
C2Medicine
(archaic, medical)A severe ulceration in the mouth leading to tissue destruction, often fatal, now referred to as noma.
Example
- In historical medical texts, black canker was described as a devastating condition in malnourished children.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "black canker":