a person who acts against the interests of a trade union, as by continuing to work during a strike or taking over a striker's job
b.
(as modifier)
blackleg labour
2. Also called: black quarter
an acute infectious disease of cattle, sheep, and pigs, characterized by gas-filled swellings, esp on the legs, caused by Clostridium bacteria
3. plant pathology
a.
a fungal disease of cabbages and related plants caused by Phoma lingam, characterized by blackening and decay of the lower stems
b.
a similar disease of potatoes, caused by bacteria
4.
a person who cheats in gambling, esp at cards or in racing
verbWord forms: -legs, -legging or -legged
5. British
to act against the interests of a trade union, esp by refusing to join a strike
blackleg in American English
(ˈblækˌlɛg)
noun
1.
an acute, usually fatal, infectious disease of young cattle and sheep, caused by a bacterium (esp. Clostridium chauvoei) and characterized by swelling and blackening of infected muscle tissue
2.
a disease of beets and related plants caused by a fungus (Phoma betae)
3.
a disease of potatoes caused by a bacterium (Erwinia atroseptica)