winterkill

plural winterkills · alternative winter-kill · alternative winter kill

1. countableuncountableThe mortality resulting from lethal wintry conditions among a human, animal, and/or vegetal population.

present singular third person winterkills · participle present winterkilling · participle past winterkilled · past winterkilled · alternative winter-kill · alternative winter kill

1. transitiveTo kill by the conditions of winter, especially the effect of the cold, freezing.

   It surely had winterkilled all the soft-grained wheat that had been planted.

   2001, Sam Wellman, George Washington Carver: Inventor and Naturalist

   2 more examples

   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

2. intransitiveTo 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

   1 more example

   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