dieback

About 0.07 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. noun The browning and death of a plant shoot starting at the tip, due to either disease or climate conditions.
2. noun The withering of a plant, especially the cyclical withering in autumn and winter; distal parts die off but core parts stay alive (and semidormant or dormant).

Similar words

decay depletion decline degeneration mortality death degradation loss blight ash dieback

Often followed by

of and in is disease or on was caused

Word family

diebacks