 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsEnglish UsageBritish EnglishESL Teaching Learnglish.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004Mildew/mold
Hello: Are "mildew" and "mold" distinct from each other (for the non-biologist:-))? As per unabridged.merriam-webster: mildew ------- 1 obsolete : HONEYDEW 1 2 a : a superficial usually whitish growth produced on various forms of organic matter and on living plants by fungi (as of the families Erysiphaceae and Peronosporaceae) b : a fungus producing such growth -- compare DOWNY MILDEW, 5MOLD, POWDERY MILDEW 3 : a discoloration (as on cloth, leather, paper) caused by parasitic fungi mold ---- 1 : a superficial often woolly growth produced on various forms of organic matter especially when damp or decaying and on living organisms 2 : a fungus especially of the order Mucorales that produces mold -- compare BLACK MOLD, BLUE MOLD, MILDEW Thanks, Marius Hancu > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Thanks, > Marius Hancu There are various types of mould (yes, we spell mould with a 'u' in the UK!). Mildew is one of them. > > mildew > > ------- [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > There are various types of mould (yes, we spell mould with a 'u' in the > UK!). Mildew is one of them. Thank you. I am familiar with the UK spelling too:-) My remaining question mainly is: how does the ordinary person distinguish visually between them? I.e., what's the difference in aspect? Marius Hancu >>>mildew >>>------- [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Marius Hancu Well, to me mildew is greyish white, and normally found on fabrics or leather. The blue/green furry mould often found in abandoned coffee mugs under the beds of teenagers or on unidentified substances lurking at the back of the fridge is... some other sort of mould ;-) Margot > Well, to me mildew is greyish white, and normally found on fabrics or > leather. The blue/green furry mould often found in abandoned coffee mugs > under the beds of teenagers or on unidentified substances lurking at the > back of the fridge is... some other sort of mould ;-) Thank you. This is exactly as far as I intend to go into exploring this:-)) Marius Hancu > Are "mildew" and "mold" distinct from each other (for the > non-biologist:-))? Not really -- because we must distinguish two different modes of speech: 1. Common or non-specialist usage: this is likely to distinguish mildew and mold by their immediate appearance, and perhaps suggest mildew is one common variety of mold. 2. Usage by mycological scientists, who generally define species and classes by structural characteristics (some invisible to the naked eye.) -- Don Phillipson Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada) |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2012 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.