blackleg
noun, verb
Forms blacklegs blacklegging blacklegged
- noun (uncountable, agriculture, veterinary medicine) A fatal cattle disease caused by the soil-borne bacterium Clostridium chauvoei; symptomatic anthrax.
- noun (uncountable) A disease of potato crops caused by pectolytic bacteria, characterized by blackening and decay of the lower stem portion.
- noun (uncountable) A disease of brassicas caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans
- noun (countable) A person who cheats in a game; a cheater, especially a dishonest bookmaker.
- noun (countable) A person who takes the place of striking workers.
- verb To continue working whilst fellow workers strike.
Synonyms
Etymology
From black + leg.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “blackleg”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details