redroot

American  

[red-root, -root] / ˈrɛdˌrut, -ˌrʊt /

noun

1. a North American plant, Lachnanthes caroliniana (orL. tinctoria ), having sword-shaped leaves, woolly, yellowish flowers, and a root that is red in color.

2. any of various other plants having red roots, as the alkanet, Alkanna tinctoria, pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus, and New Jersey tea, Ceanothus americanus.

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redroot British  

/ ˈrɛdˌruːt /

noun

1. a bog plant, Lachnanthes tinctoria , of E North America, having woolly yellow flowers and roots that yield a red dye: family Haemodoraceae

2. another name for pigweed

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Etymology

Origin of redroot

An Americanism dating back to 1700–10; red ¹ + root ¹

Example Sentences

Farm life often requires rising with the sun, but chores, whether pulling redroot weeds or tending sheep, usually conclude by lunch.

From New York Times • Nov. 17, 2022

Then go on a prowl for tasty summer weeds such as redroot pigweed and lamb’s quarters.

From Washington Post • May 19, 2015

One March, during a deep snow, a large flock of buntings stayed about my vineyards for several days, feeding upon the seeds of redroot and other weeds that stood above the snow.

From The Wit of a Duck and Other Papers by Burroughs, John

Old lady Field she make medicine with snakeroot and larkspur and marshroot and redroot.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Texas Narratives, Part 1 by Work Projects Administration

The weeds commonly called redroot or iron-weed are very good for this.

From Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Bancroft, Jessie Hubbell