A disease in grain crops (especially wheat and rye) caused by a parasitic fungus or nematode that distorts the grain.
From Middle English 'ear' (the grain head) + 'cockle' (a plant disease or weed). The term dates back to medieval agriculture when this disease threatened grain harvests.
Earcockle was one of the mysterious crop diseases that medieval farmers blamed on bad weather or divine punishment—they didn't realize it was caused by tiny parasitic worms that infected the grain seeds!
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