mildew

• n. 霉；霉病
• vt. 使发霉
• vi. 发霉；生霉

mil-,甜的，词源同molasses,dew,露珠。该词原义为甘汁，蜜露。现词义可能是受meal(粉)影响，即粉状露珠，用以形容发霉，霉菌。

mildew

mildew: [OE] Mildew originally meant ‘honeydew’ (which is a sort of sticky substance exuded by aphids and similar insects on to leaves). It is a compound noun formed in the prehistoric Germanic period from *melith ‘honey’ (a relative of Latin mel ‘honey’, source of English mellifluous and molasses) and *daw-waz, ancestor of English dew. The metaphorical transference from ‘honey-dew’ to a less pleasant, fungal growth on plants, etc took place in the 14th century.
=> dew, mellifluous, molasses

mildew (n.)

mid-13c., mildeu "honeydew, nectar," from Old English meledeaw "honeydew" (sticky stuff exuded by aphids), from Proto-Germanic compound of *melith "honey" (see Melissa) + *dawwaz "dew" (see dew). Similar formation in Old Saxon milidou, Dutch meeldauw, German Meltau "mildew."

First element in many cases assimilated to forms of meal (n.2) "ground grain." As a kind of fungus it is first recorded mid-14c., so called from its being sticky and originally growing in plants. As a verb from 1550s. Related: Mildewed.

1. He was already asleep in the bed, which smelled faintly of mildew.

他已经在略带霉味的床上睡着了。

来自柯林斯例句

2. The grain is liable to mildew when the humidity in the barn is too high.

仓库里潮气太大,粮食就容易发霉.

来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3. The room smelled of mildew.

房间里有股霉味。

来自辞典例句

4. The interior was dark and smelled of mildew.

里面光线很暗,霉味扑鼻.

来自辞典例句

5. Mildew may form in this weather.

这种天气有可能发霉.

来自辞典例句