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 byout ).

   to weed out crab grass from a lawn.

3. to remove as being undesirable, inefficient, or superfluous (often followed byout ).

   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. Archaic.,  Often weeds

   1. a garment.

      clad in rustic weeds.

   2. clothing.

Weed

³

[weed]

noun

1. Thurlow 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

Other Word Forms

• weedless adjective
• weeder noun
• weedlike adjective
• unweeded 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, 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

Fed-up tenants who moved out were replaced many times over by newcomers: rats, insects and weeds.

From Los Angeles Times

But Matt Britzman, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said Lloyds had been "forced to take a more aggressive approach to weed out the lower performers".

From BBC

A boy from school had gotten her number from a friend and invited her to smoke weed in the woods near her family’s home.

From Los Angeles Times

State investigators, the lawsuit alleges, found that the grass was brown, weeds and dirt covered markers and water spigots were inoperable.

From Los Angeles Times

Before dawn, he would pedal out there on an old bicycle, clearing weeds and feeding cows, the world silent except for the rustle of palm leaves.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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