mildew

Meaning

Noun

A growth of minute powdery or webby fungi, whitish or of different colors, found on various diseased or decaying substances.

Verb

1. To taint with mildew.
2. To become tainted with mildew.

Synonyms

mold

mould

blight

fungus

rust

smut

grey

moss

lichen

spoil

mustiness

musty

rot

spotted

mol

mouldiness

mouldy smell

stripe blight

twig blight

mycete

dampness in walls

bryophyte

cobwebs

damp

ergot

freckle

mildewed

moldiness

moldy

must

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmɪl.djuː/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: myldew

Inherited from Old English: meledeaw

Cognate with Western Frisian: moaldau

Cognate with Dutch: meeldauw

Cognate with German: Mehltau

In summary

From Middle English myldew, from Old English meledēaw, mildēaw, from Proto-West Germanic *milidauw, from *mili (“honey”) + *dauw (“dew”). Compare West Frisian moaldau, Dutch meeldauw, German Mehltau. More at dew.