covered smut

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Word: Covered Smut

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Covered smut is a type of disease that affects certain grains, caused by a fungus. In this disease, the spores of the fungus are contained within the grain itself, inside a covering made of the grain's own membranes.

Usage Instructions:

• Basic Usage: Generally used in agricultural contexts, particularly when discussing plant diseases.
• Example Sentence: "The farmer noticed that the wheat had been affected by covered smut, which could reduce the crop yield."

Advanced Usage:

• In scientific discussions about plant pathology, you might use the term when discussing the impact of fungi on grain crops or when researching methods of disease prevention.

Word Variants:

• Smut: Refers to a broader category of fungi that cause similar diseases in plants.
• Smuts: The plural form of smut, which can refer to multiple instances of smut diseases.

Different Meanings:

• The word "smut" can also refer to something dirty or obscene, especially in literature or film. However, in the context of agriculture, it specifically relates to plant diseases.

Synonyms:

• Grain disease: A general term for various diseases that affect grains.
• Fungal infection: A broader term that can apply to any infection caused by a fungus.

Related Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• While there are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs related to “covered smut,” you might encounter phrases like "crop failure" or "disease outbreak" in discussions about agricultural problems.

Summary:

Covered smut is an important term in agriculture, particularly for those studying plant diseases.

Academic

Noun

1. a smut fungus causing a smut disease of grains in which the spore masses are covered or held together by the grain membranes