1) Fungus 
Verticillium is a genus of fungi in the division Ascomycota, and are an anamorphic form of the Plectosphaerellaceae family. The genus used to include diverse groups comprising saprobes and parasites of higher plants, insects, nematodes, mollusc eggs and other fungi thus it can be seen that the genus used to have a wide ranging group of taxa charac...
A fungus disease that will cause wilting and death. This is the 'V' in 'V,F,N'.
<fungus> Verticillium is a genus of fungi (class Hyphomycetes) that cause many different wilt diseases in plants and infections in humans. ... (09 Oct 1997) ... 
Type: Term Pronunciation: ver′ti-sil′ē-ŭm Definitions: 1. A genus of hyphomycetous fungi often found in clinical specimens as contaminants. They are occasionally found in the meatus in cases of otitis externa, but are of doubtful pathogenicity.
[n] - a fungus of the genus Verticillium
The fungus Verticillium dahliae causes the vine wilt disease; see there
noun a fungus of the genus Verticillium