Meanings
- uncountablebiologyA disease of elm trees caused by ascomycete fungi in the genus Ophiostoma and spread by bark beetles.
The process began 50 years ago when Europe’s elms were ravaged by the beetle-borne fungal malady misnamed ʻDutch elm diseaseʼ (which, in fact, is Asian).
2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 2961 more example
The village is a dignified place of thatch, half-timbering, box hedges and neat farms, set among elms (though not as many as formerly, since Dutch elm disease took its toll) on the level plain of the Pewsey Vale.
1980, AA Book of English Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 67
Origin
Named after the country in which the disease was first identified. (It is not specific to Dutch elms.)
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian холандската брястова болест
- холандската брястова болест (holandskata brjastova bolest)disease of elm trees
Catalan malaltia holandesa de l'om
- malaltia holandesa de l'omdisease of elm trees
Czech grafióza, holandská nemoc
- grafiózadisease of elm trees
- holandská nemocdisease of elm trees
Danish elmesyge
- elmesygedisease of elm trees
Dutch iepziekte
- iepziektedisease of elm trees
Estonian jalakasurm
- jalakasurmdisease of elm trees
Finnish hollanninjalavatauti
- hollanninjalavatautidisease of elm trees
French graphiose de l'orme, maladie hollandaise de l'orme
- graphiose de l'ormedisease of elm trees
- maladie hollandaise de l'ormedisease of elm trees
German Ulmensterben
- Ulmensterbendisease of elm trees
Greek ολλανδική ασθένεια της φτελιάς
- ολλανδική ασθένεια της φτελιάς (ollandikí asthéneia tis fteliás)disease of elm trees
Hungarian szilfavész
- szilfavészdisease of elm trees
Italian grafiosi
- grafiosidisease of elm trees
Japanese ニレ立枯病
- ニレ立枯病 (nire-takabyō)disease of elm trees
Norwegian almesjuke
- almesjukedisease of elm trees
Polish holenderska choroba wiązu
- holenderska choroba wiązudisease of elm trees
Portuguese grafiose, doença holandesa do ulmeiro
- grafiosedisease of elm trees
- doença holandesa do ulmeirodisease of elm trees
Romanian boala olandeză a ulmului
- boala olandeză a ulmuluidisease of elm trees
Russian голла́ндская боле́знь вя́за
- голла́ндская боле́знь вя́за (gollándskaja boléznʹ vjáza)disease of elm trees
Spanish grafiosis, enfermedad holandesa del olmo
- grafiosisdisease of elm trees
- enfermedad holandesa del olmodisease of elm trees
Swedish almsjuka
- almsjukadisease of elm trees
Cite this entry
Dutch elm disease. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dutch%20elm%20disease
“Dutch elm disease.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dutch%20elm%20disease. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Dutch elm disease,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dutch%20elm%20disease.
Source: Dutch elm disease on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.