Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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dieback
common symptom or name of disease, especially of woody plants, characterized by progressive death of twigs, branches, shoots, or roots, starting at the tips. Staghead is a slow dieback of the upper branches of a tree; the dead, leafless limbs superficially resemble a stag's head. Dieback and staghead are caused by many fungi and a few bacteria that produce cankers, anthracnose, wilts, and stem or root rots. Nematodes, stem- or root-boring insects, mechanical damage, paving over roots, winter injury from cold or deicing salts, and a deficiency or excess of moisture or an essential element may cause dieback, directly or indirectly.
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