smartweed

[ smahrt-weed ]

noun

1. any of several weeds weed of the genus Polygonum, having a smarting, acrid juice.

Word History and Origins

Origin of smartweed¹

First recorded in 1780–90; smart + weed ¹

Example Sentences

A number of ingredients, such as red currants and smartweed, were not cultivated but foraged from the wild, following the folk wisdom of the steppes.

From New York Times

On the list were papaya, neem, asafoetida, figs, ginger, smartweed, wild yam, pennyroyal, black cohosh and angelica.

From Washington Times

Experiments carried out about a decade ago showed that after treatment with this chemical there is a sharp increase in the nitrate content of corn and of sugar beets, and that this might also be true of sorghum, sunflower, spiderwort, lamb’s-quarters, pigweed, and smartweed.

From The New Yorker

The same effect was suspected in sorghum, sunflower, spiderwort, lambs quarters, pigweed, and smartweed.

From Literature

Yellow No. 1 A good yellow can be obtained by experimenting with smartweed.

From Project Gutenberg