hogweed

American  

[hawg-weed, hog-] / ˈhɔgˌwid, ˈhɒg- /

noun

1. any coarse weed with composite flower heads, especially the cow parsnip.

2. giant hogweed.

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hogweed British  

/ ˈhɒɡˌwiːd /

noun

1. any of several coarse weedy umbelliferous plants, esp cow parsnip See also giant hogweed

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Etymology

Origin of hogweed

First recorded in 1700–10; hog + weed ¹

Example Sentences

Daniel Logan stung his ankle on a giant hogweed in Boston Manor Park, west London, while retrieving a football.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2023

Among other new eight-letter words, the kind that help players clear their seven-tile racks for 50 extra points: hogsbane, more commonly known as giant hogweed.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2022

Overnutrition harms the wildlife and biodiversity by attracting nitrogen-loving plants such as nettles, hogweed and hemlock, which are known to spread fast, according to the study.

From Washington Post • Feb. 7, 2022

The skeletal remains of hogweed or a velvet shank fungus erupting from the base of a tree can be given a magical crystalline crust that elevates your image from the ordinary to the spectacular.

From The Guardian • Dec. 2, 2010

“You can see that everywhere; and these bluebell-harebell-campanula things, and the dandelion blossoms, and the whortleberry and hogweed and wild parsley stuff: you see them all at home.”

From The Crystal Hunters A Boy's Adventures in the Higher Alps by Burton, Frederic William