duckweed

American  

[duhk-weed] / ˈdʌkˌwid /

noun

1. any plant of the family Lemnaceae, especially of the genus Lemna, comprising small aquatic plants that float free on still water.

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duckweed British  

/ ˈdʌkˌwiːd /

noun

1. any of various small stemless aquatic plants of the family Lemnaceae, esp any of the genus Lemna, that have rounded leaves and occur floating on still water in temperate regions

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Etymology

Origin of duckweed

1400–50; late Middle English dockewede; so called because eaten by ducks

Example Sentences

"I feel like a drifting duckweed tossed in wind and storm," she said, using a common Chinese expression used to describe feeling both uncertain and helpless.

From BBC

Soon, his team will start to sequence duckweeds from different generations and assess their gene activity to see how gene regulatory networks might differ between the polyploids and diploids.

From Science Magazine

As part of their environmental science class, high school juniors and seniors were building a natural filtration system to clear out duckweed, prevalent in the wetlands they are working to restore.

From Seattle Times

Scientists have figured out how to coax copious amounts of oil from duckweed, one of nature’s fastest-growing aquatic plants.

From Scientific American

The nutrients in the waste water also lead to quicker growth of the duckweed which could be used as a protein-rich feed for livestock.

From BBC