beggarweed

[ beg-er-weed ]

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

  2. Chiefly British. any weed that impoverishes soil.

Origin of beggarweed

1
First recorded in 1875–80; beggar + weed1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for beggarweed

beggarweed

/ (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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