beggarweed

American  

[beg-er-weed] / ˈbɛg ərˌwid /

noun

1. any of various tick trefoils, especially Desmodium tortuosum, grown for forage in subtropical regions.

2. Chiefly British. any weed that impoverishes soil.

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beggarweed British  

/ ˈbɛɡəˌwiːd /

noun

1. any of various leguminous plants of the genus Desmodium , esp D. purpureum of the Caribbean, grown in the southern US as forage plants and to improve the soil See also tick trefoil

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Etymology

Origin of beggarweed

First recorded in 1875–80; beggar + weed ¹

Example Sentences

Cowpeas, soja beans, beggarweed, velvet beans, alfalfa and melilotus can all be grown in the pecan area.

From The Pecan and its Culture by Hume, H. Harold (Hardrada Harold)

On fairly good land this will be sufficient, but on poorer ground the land should be continued in cultivation another year, sowing it down in beggarweed, cowpeas, soja beans, or velvet beans.

From The Pecan and its Culture by Hume, H. Harold (Hardrada Harold)