pigweed

American  

[pig-weed] / ˈpɪgˌwid /

noun

1. any goosefoot of the genus Chenopodium, especially C. album.

2. any of certain amaranths, as Amaranthus retroflexus.

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pigweed British  

/ ˈpɪɡˌwiːd /

noun

1. Also called: redroot.  any of several coarse North American amaranthaceous weeds of the genus Amaranthus, esp A. retroflexus, having hairy leaves and green flowers

2. a US name for fat hen

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Etymology

Origin of pigweed

First recorded in 1795–1805; pig ¹ + weed ¹

Example Sentences

Pigweed, which plagues soybean farmers in the Midwest, has developed herbicide-resistant strains that alarm farmers and fascinate scientists.

From Slate • May 8, 2019

Pigweed Plus: Pigweed seeds are now grown commercially and prized as a cereal grain.

From Time Magazine Archive

Spikes short, 1-8 cm. long, crowded in dense ovoid panicles; the terminal spike not conspicuously elongated beyond the appressed or ascending lower ones Pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus. 5b.

From The Plants of Michigan Simple Keys for the Identification of the Native Seed Plants of the State by Gleason, Henry Allan

Plant prostrate or decumbent; seed about 1.5 mm. broad Pigweed, Amaranthus blitoides. 2b.

From The Plants of Michigan Simple Keys for the Identification of the Native Seed Plants of the State by Gleason, Henry Allan

Bracts subulate, sharply awned Pigweed, Amaranthus hybridus. 6b.

From The Plants of Michigan Simple Keys for the Identification of the Native Seed Plants of the State by Gleason, Henry Allan