a disease of trees and shrubs characterized by death of the young shoots, which spreads to the larger branches: caused by injury to the roots or attack by bacteria or fungi
2.
any similar condition of herbaceous plants
verbdie back
3. (intr, adverb)
(of plants) to suffer from dieback
dieback in American English
(ˈdaɪˌbæk)
US
noun
a disease of vascular plants characterized by a dying backward from the tip of twigs and branches and caused by parasites, insufficient moisture, etc.