knotweed

American

[not-weed] / ˈnɒtˌwid /

noun

any of several knotty-stemmed plants belonging to the genus Polygonum, of the buckwheat family.

knotweed British

/ ˈnɒtˌwiːd /

noun

any of several polygonaceous plants of the genus Polygonum, having small flowers and jointed stems

"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 knotweed

First recorded in 1570–80; knot ¹ + 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.

See Examples For:

knotweed

And what’s Japanese knotweed, and why is it destroying Elizabeth’s house?

From Slate ● Sep. 7, 2024

"This case is about the role played by diminution in value in cases of nuisance involving the plant Japanese knotweed," said Lord Justice Birss.

From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2023

KINGSTON, Mass. — Asa Peters marched into a thicket of Japanese knotweed in the woods of coastal Massachusetts this month and began steadily hacking the towering, dense vegetation down to size.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 24, 2022

Rhubarb is part of the buckwheat family, which also includes plants like Japanese knotweed and sorrel.

From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2022

Goosefoot, knotweed, little barley, and maygrass had tiny seeds, with volumes only one-tenth that of wheat and barley seeds.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023