- blight
- 1610s, origin obscure, apparently it emerged into literary speech from the talk of gardeners and farmers, perhaps ult. from O.E. blęce, blęcšu, a scrofulous skin condition and/or from O.N. blikna "become pale." Used in a general way of agricultural diseases, sometimes with suggestion of "invisible baleful influence;" hence figurative sense of "anything which withers hopes or prospects or checks prosperity" (1852). The verb in this sense is from 1712. Hence slang blighter.