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fireweed

American  
[fahyuhr-weed] / ˈfaɪərˌwid /

noun

  1. any of various plants appearing in recently burned clearings, as the willow herb, Epilobium angustifolium.


fireweed British  
/ ˈfaɪəˌwiːd /

noun

  1. any of various plants that appear as first vegetation in burnt-over areas, esp rosebay willowherb

  2. Also called: pilewort.  a weedy North American plant, Erechtites hieracifolia , having small white or greenish flowers: family Asteraceae (composites)

  3. an Australian rainforest tree, Stenocarpus sinuatus , having whorls of bright red flowers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fireweed

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85; fire + weed 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Crew members then brought in native plants such as goldenrod, fireweed, broadleaf lupine, various grasses and other native species along the shore and intertidal zone, said King County ecologist Mason Bowles.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 11, 2023

On the way there I spot some fireweed growing alongside the dirt road; it’s a native wildflower that blooms from the bottom of its stalk-like flower to the top.

From New York Times • Sep. 24, 2022

The land is dotted with dead “snags” surrounded by thick mats of crisscrossed fallen logs flanked by fireweed, a purple wildflower that thrives in the open spaces left by blazes.

From Scientific American • Aug. 5, 2021

Writing through his troubles, Specktor offers consolatory beauty, much as fireweed blooms on hillsides after the destruction of a forest.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2021

Beneath it Billie arranges a bouquet of fireweed, monkshood, yarrow, and spruce boughs.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

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