From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Mildew \Mil"dew\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Mildewed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Mildewing}.] To taint with mildew; as, mildewed clothing.
He . . . mildews the white wheat. --Shak.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Mildew \Mil"dew\, verb (used without an object) To become tainted with mildew.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Mildew \Mil"dew\, noun [AS. melede['a]w; akin to OHG. militou, G. mehlthau, mehltau; prob. orig. meaning, honeydew; cf. Goth. milip honey. See {Mellifluous}, and {Dew}.] (Bot.) A growth of minute powdery or webby fungi, whitish or of different colors, found on various diseased or decaying substances.
{powdery mildew} a fungal disease of plants caused by an ascomycete of the order {Erysiphales}, characterized by a powdery white film on the surface of the affected plants. It is damaging to, e.g., roses and lilacs. Also, a fungus that causes such a disease. [PJC]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: the process of becoming mildewed [syn: {mold}]
2: a fungus that produces a superficial (usually white) growth on organic matter
verb
1: become moldy; spoil due to humidity; "The furniture molded in the old house" [syn: {mold}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
77 Moby Thesaurus words for "mildew": biodegradability, biodegradation, blast, blight, break up, breakup, cancer, canker, corrosion, corrupt, corruption, crumble, crumble into dust, decay, decompose, decomposition, degradability, degradation, dilapidation, disintegrate, disintegration, disorganization, dissolution, dry rot, fall into decay, fall to pieces, fester, fetidity, fetidness, foulness, frowst, frowstiness, frowziness, fungus, funkiness, fustiness, gangrene, go bad, go to pieces, malodorousness, mold, molder, moldiness, mortify, moth, moth and rust, must, mustiness, necrose, noisomeness, odorousness, offensiveness, oxidation, oxidization, pest, putrefy, putresce, putridness, rancidity, rancidness, rankle, rankness, reastiness, repulsiveness, resolution, rot, rottenness, rust, smelliness, smut, sphacelate, spoil, spoilage, stinkingness, stuffiness, suppurate, worm
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Mildew (the rendering of a Hebrew word meaning "to be yellow," yellowness), the result of cutting east winds blighting and thus rendering the grain unproductive (Deut. 28:22; 1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chr. 6:28).
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