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DictionaryRoot: meledeaw
Old English

meledeaw

nectar, honeydew

1 / 1
Thin white-gray powdery mildew spreads across damp green leaf beside humid shaded wall, close fungal growth.
noun / verb

mildew

MIL-doo/ˈmɪlduː/

A thin layer of fungus that grows on damp surfaces.

Etymology
mildewOld Englishnectar, honeydew

Old English meledeaw meant “nectar, honeydew,” rather than fungal growth. The name was presumably transferred to fungus because it too was sticky and grew on plants.

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