mayweed

American  

[mey-weed] / ˈmeɪˌwid /

noun

1. a composite plant, Anthemis cotula, native to Europe and Asia but naturalized in North America, having pungent, rank-smelling foliage and flower heads with a yellow disk and white rays.

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mayweed British  

/ ˈmeɪˌwiːd /

noun

1. Also called: dog fennel.   stinking mayweed.  a widespread Eurasian weedy plant, Anthemis cotula, having evil-smelling leaves and daisy-like flower heads: family Asteraceae (composites)

2. a similar and related plant, Matricaria maritima , with scentless leaves

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Etymology

Origin of mayweed

1545–55; obsolete mayth mayweed ( Middle English maithe, Old English mægtha ) + weed ¹

Example Sentences

The earth was soft and crumbling, with a scattering of the weeds that are found in cultivated fields—fumitory, charlock, pimpernel and mayweed, all growing in the green gloom under the bean leaves.

From Literature

As tall as the young corn the mayweed fringes the arable fields with its white rays and yellow centre, somewhat as the broad moon-daisies stand in the grass.

From Project Gutenberg

Some knotty knapweeds stay in out-of-the-way places, where the scythe has not been; some bunches of mayweed, too, are visible in the corners of the stubble.

From Project Gutenberg

Out from that trench, sometimes stealthily slipping between the flattened fern-stalks, came a weasel, and, running through the plantains and fringe-like mayweed or stray pimpernel which covered the neglected ground, made for the straw-rick.

From Project Gutenberg

By this time generally the corn is high above the mayweed, but this year the flower is level with its shelter.

From Project Gutenberg