knotweed

[ not-weed ]

noun

1. any of several knotty-stemmed plants belonging to the genus Polygonum, of the buckwheat family.

knotweed

/ ˈnɒtˌwiːd /

noun

1. any of several polygonaceous plants of the genus Polygonum, having small flowers and jointed stems

Word History and Origins

Origin of knotweed¹

First recorded in 1570–80; knot ¹ + weed ¹

Example Sentences

The Money squad discusses the Chase infinite money TikTok craze, the “founder mode” craze, and the menace of Japanese knotweed.

From Slate

And what’s Japanese knotweed, and why is it destroying Elizabeth’s house?

From Slate

Dr. Robert C. Venette, a research biologist and director of the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center, is paying close attention to multiple invasive species, including "several bark beetles, emerald ash borer, spotted lanternfly, hemlock wooly adelgid, oak wilt, Palmer amaranth and Japanese knotweed, among others."

From Salon

It was another sign of the cultivating anger, the political knotweed that would soon flourish and ensnare Vaughan Gething.

From BBC

Alien species are living things transported around the world by humans into places they wouldn't naturally be, from Japanese knotweed to the fungus that kills ash trees.

From BBC