weed

¹

[ weed ]

noun

1. a valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop.
2. any undesirable or troublesome plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted:

   The vacant lot was covered with weeds.

3. Informal. a cigarette or cigar.
4. Slang. a marijuana cigarette.
5. a thin, ungainly person or animal.
6. a wretched or useless animal, especially a horse unfit for racing or breeding purposes.
7. the weed,
   1. Informal. tobacco.
   2. Slang. marijuana.

verb (used with object)

1. to free from weeds or troublesome plants; root out weeds from:

   to weed a garden.

2. to root out or remove (a weed or weeds), as from a garden (often followed by out ):

   to weed out crab grass from a lawn.

3. to remove as being undesirable, inefficient, or superfluous (often followed by out ):

   to weed out inexperienced players.

4. to rid (something) of undesirable or superfluous elements.

verb (used without object)

1. to remove weeds or the like.

weed

²

[ weed ]

noun

1. weeds, mourning garments:

   widow's weeds.

2. a mourning band of black crepe or cloth, as worn on a man's hat or coat sleeve.
3. Often weeds. Archaic.
   1. a garment:

      clad in rustic weeds.

   2. clothing.

Weed

³

[ weed ]

noun

1. Thur·low [thur, -loh], 1797–1882, U.S. journalist and politician.

weed

¹

/ wiːd /

noun

1. any plant that grows wild and profusely, esp one that grows among cultivated plants, depriving them of space, food, etc
2. slang.
   1. tobacco
   2. marijuana
3. informal.
   a thin or unprepossessing person
4. an inferior horse, esp one showing signs of weakness of constitution

verb

1. to remove (useless or troublesome plants) from (a garden, etc)

weed

²

/ wiːd /

noun

1. rare.
   a black crepe band worn to indicate mourning See also weeds

Derived Forms

• ˈweedless, adjective
• ˈweeder, noun
• ˈweedˌlike, adjective

Other Word Forms

• weedless adjective
• weedlike adjective
• un·weeded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of weed¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English wed(e), weid, Old English wēod; cognate with Old Saxon wiod “weed,” Middle Dutch wiet “fern”

Origin of weed²

First recorded before 900; Middle English wed(e), Old English (ge)wǣde, wǣde “garment, clothing”; cognate with Old Saxon wād, gewādi, Old High German wāt, gewāti; wadmal

Word History and Origins

Origin of weed¹

Old English weod; related to Old Saxon wiod, Old High German wiota fern

Origin of weed²

Old English wǣd, wēd; related to Old Saxon wād, Old High German wāt, Old Norse vāth

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. (deep) in / into the weeds, Slang. Also in deep weeds.
   1. (of a restaurant worker) overwhelmed and falling behind in serving customers:

      Our waitress was so deep in the weeds that we waited 40 minutes for our burgers.

   2. in trouble; overwhelmed by problems:

      He knows our marriage is in deep weeds.

   3. involved in the details:

      I’m in the weeds of planning my wedding.

Example Sentences

A peppercorn-studded prime rib rests on the counter next to an apothecary jar full of weed.

From Los Angeles Times

There he gets the serious stink eye from Clarence Thomas and sparks up a fragrant bowl of weed.

From Los Angeles Times

And because chivalry is not dead, Henry even goes so far as to help Violet weed out other potential suspects.

From Salon

He wrote that she displayed "the man-eating weed of Humanistic Mercy" that was "enabled by the feminist denial of the complementary design and callings of men and women."

From Salon

After the heavy rains that winter, she was delighted to find them sprouting in the spring, fighting through the weeds along with buckwheat seedlings.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• drag
• haul
• pick
• pluck
• remove
• rip
• stretch
• take out
• tear
• tow
• trail
• tug
• yank