Dictionary

winterkill en · NOUN

Etymology

From winter + kill.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The mortality resulting from lethal wintry conditions among a human, animal, and/or vegetal population.

Forms

Relateds

killer · winter-killed · winterly · winter quarters · winterization · overkill

Translations (1)

nl wintersterfte (mortality resulting from lethal wintery conditions among a human, animal, and/or vegetal population)

winterkill en · VERB

Etymology

From winter + kill.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To kill by the conditions of winter, especially the effect of the cold, freezing.
   • From these data it is evident that the frequent low temperatures may have winterkilled many bare fields of common alfalfa before the ice sheets occurred the latter part of February 1922 1919, University of Wisconsin. Agricultural Experiment Station, Report of the director, volumes 37-46:
   • The severe cold in conditions of only light snow protection is also reported to have winterkilled considerable areas of winter grains in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Yugoslavia 1972, Commonwealth Secretariat. Commodities Division, Commonwealth Economic Committee, Grain bulletin, volumes 18-19:
   • It surely had winterkilled all the soft-grained wheat that had been planted. 2001, Sam Wellman, George Washington Carver: Inventor and Naturalist:
2. (intransitive) To die from the above effects of winter conditions.
   • Order new rose bushes to replace any that have winterkilled. 1951 April 1, “Around the Garden; Future for Pot Plants”, in New York Times:
   • Some lakes may have winterkilled but anglers will find fish if they take some time to look for them 2004 May 20, “Utah's Top 10 fishing spots”, in Salt Lake Tribune, The:

Forms