Definition of "dieback" [dieback]

• The gradual dying of plant shoots, starting at the tips, as a result of various diseases or climatic conditions. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The team believes that the process, known as dieback, will begin when average global temperatures reach around 15C."
• "The direst predictions come from the British meteorological office's Hadley Center, where a team led by Peter Cox forecast a massive "dieback" of plants, killing the rain forest by 2100."
• "Mac -- I think you should add "dieback" to the labels."