tarweed

[ tahr-weed ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

any of several resinous or gummy, composite plants of the genus Grindelia, having solitary flower heads.

Origin of tarweed¹

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; tar ¹ + weed ¹

The brushed marks went not only through the carpet of pine needles, but through the tarweed, the snow brush, the manzañita.

The fire had leaped the cleared path and was greedily eating in all directions through the short, pitchy growth of tarweed.

The tarweed, especially, was stubborn under even the most vigorous wielding of his sharpened hoe.

He raked carefully his broad path among the pine needles, laying bare the brown earth; hoed and chopped in the tarweed and brush.

Tall, stately teasels stand like sentinels along the way, and the balsamic tarweed spreads its fragrance along the outer edge.

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