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 • May 29, 2025

Tia-Lynn Ashman and Martin Turcotte, evolutionary ecologists at the University of Pittsburgh, have also studied polyploidy in duckweed populations.

From Science Magazine • Aug. 23, 2023

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 • May 12, 2023

For a new study in the Plant Biotechnology Journal, researchers genetically engineered duckweed plants to produce seven times more oil per acre than soybeans—currently the most commonly used biodiesel-producing plant.

From Scientific American • Jan. 25, 2023

Polyps may be obtained at all times of the year by bringing home duckweed, conferva, and other water-plants from the ponds.

From Marvels of Pond-life A Year's Microscopic Recreations by Slack, Henry J.