What does winterkilling mean?
Winterkilling is the killing of vegetation, or injury severe enough to kill it, through the effects of winter. It is especially important in turfgrass management, where cold, ice, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles can damage or kill lawns, fairways, and putting greens. The term can also describe losses to trees, shrubs, crops, and other plants during an unusually severe or prolonged winter. In general use, winterkilling refers not only to immediate death but also to winter-related damage that leaves a plant unable to resume growth in spring. It therefore differs from ordinary winter dormancy: dormant tissue remains alive but inactive, whereas severely injured tissue is dead. The word is chiefly North American and most common in horticulture, agriculture, and turf-management contexts. Although winterkilling may suggest catastrophic loss, its meaning depends on context; a field may experience minor winterkilling, or an entire planting may be destroyed. Understanding the term helps distinguish genuine cold injury from drought, disease, or seasonal dormancy.
nounThe destruction of, or severe cold injury to, vegetation during winter; the resulting damage.
- The action or process of vegetation being killed or severely injured by winter conditions.
- The resulting damage to vegetation caused by exposure to severe or prolonged winter cold.
"Persistent drought left the grass vulnerable to winterkilling."
"Persistent drought left the grass vulnerable to winterkilling."
"After a mild winter, the orchard showed little winterkilling despite the cold snap."
Rare and usually countable only when referring to separate occurrences; the noun is normally used uncountably.
"The survey recorded winterkillings in several low-lying fields."
Winterkilling can leave a lawn looking dead, but grass whose roots survive may turn green again in spring.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of winterkilling
Winterkilling is a transparent English compound of winter and killing. Winter descends from Old English winter, while killing comes through Middle English killen from the Old English Germanic verb cwellan, meaning “to kill” or “slay.” The compound was formed within English to name the process or result of death or injury caused by winter.
How winterkilling is actually used
The term is most familiar in horticulture and turfgrass management, where it distinguishes cold injury from dormancy, drought, or disease. It is also used more broadly for winter damage to crops, trees, and shrubs.
Easily confused with winterkilling
Winterkill is the shorter related form and may be used as a noun or verb; winterkilling is the gerund form and normally refers to the process or resulting damage.