weed

¹

[ weed ]

noun

1. a valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop.
2. any undesirable or troublesome plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted:

   The vacant lot was covered with weeds.

3. Informal. a cigarette or cigar.
4. Slang. a marijuana cigarette.
5. a thin, ungainly person or animal.
6. a wretched or useless animal, especially a horse unfit for racing or breeding purposes.
7. the weed,
   1. Informal. tobacco.
   2. Slang. marijuana.

verb (used with object)

1. to free from weeds or troublesome plants; root out weeds from:

   to weed a garden.

2. to root out or remove (a weed or weeds), as from a garden (often followed by out ):

   to weed out crab grass from a lawn.

3. to remove as being undesirable, inefficient, or superfluous (often followed by out ):

   to weed out inexperienced players.

4. to rid (something) of undesirable or superfluous elements.

verb (used without object)

1. to remove weeds or the like.

weed

²

[ weed ]

noun

1. weeds, mourning garments:

   widow's weeds.

2. a mourning band of black crepe or cloth, as worn on a man's hat or coat sleeve.
3. Often weeds. Archaic.
   1. a garment:

      clad in rustic weeds.

   2. clothing.

Weed

³

[ weed ]

noun

1. Thur·low [thur, -loh], 1797–1882, U.S. journalist and politician.

weed

¹

/ wiːd /

noun

1. See weeds
   rare.
   a black crepe band worn to indicate mourning See also weeds

weed

²

/ wiːd /

noun

1. any plant that grows wild and profusely, esp one that grows among cultivated plants, depriving them of space, food, etc
2. slang.
   1. the weed tobacco
   2. marijuana
3. informal.
   a thin or unprepossessing person
4. an inferior horse, esp one showing signs of weakness of constitution

verb

1. to remove (useless or troublesome plants) from (a garden, etc)

Derived Forms

• ˈweeder, noun
• ˈweedˌlike, adjective
• ˈweedless, adjective

Other Words From

• weedless adjective
• weedlike adjective
• un·weeded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of weed¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English wed(e), weid, Old English wēod; cognate with Old Saxon wiod “weed,” Middle Dutch wiet “fern”

Origin of weed²

First recorded before 900; Middle English wed(e), Old English (ge)wǣde, wǣde “garment, clothing”; cognate with Old Saxon wād, gewādi, Old High German wāt, gewāti; wadmal

Word History and Origins

Origin of weed¹

Old English wǣd, wēd; related to Old Saxon wād, Old High German wāt, Old Norse vāth

Origin of weed²

Old English weod; related to Old Saxon wiod, Old High German wiota fern

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. (deep) in / into the weeds, Slang. Also in deep weeds.
   1. (of a restaurant worker) overwhelmed and falling behind in serving customers:

      Our waitress was so deep in the weeds that we waited 40 minutes for our burgers.

   2. in trouble; overwhelmed by problems:

      He knows our marriage is in deep weeds.

   3. involved in the details:

      I’m in the weeds of planning my wedding.

Example Sentences

They had superhuman speed and could run up my arm and jump into the weeds before I could react.

From Popular-Science

Ask any farmer or gardener and they’ll confirm that a few hours of hauling dirt, pulling weeds, and pushing seeds into soil is as exhausting as a gnarly mountain-bike ride.

From Outside Online

Like cleaning out that garden, it will take some work, some knowledge, and the right tools thought the dirt and weeds, in this case, are purely digital.

From Search Engine Watch

Marijuana Moment’s newsletter aggregates both US and international legal developments in the weed world, and links to related stories about cannabis culture, business, and science.

From Quartz

This competition is a trial-by-fire for mitochondria and weeds out even the slightest mismatch.

From Nautilus

The pale, baby-faced, red-cheeked rapper is furiously puffing away at a hastily-made blunt crammed with low-grade weed.

From The Daily Beast

Antoine himself had recently been arrested on a six-year-old warrant for a dime bag of weed.

From The Daily Beast

Maurice, a 22-year-old father, says the cops planted weed on him after he was arrested once.

From The Daily Beast

There was a lot of weed, he snorted a ton of coke, was guzzling Bloody Marys.

From The Daily Beast

As our correspondent discovers, a little weed can go a long way.

From The Daily Beast

They are so rich in harmony, so weird, so wild, that when you hear them you are like a sea-weed cast upon the bosom of the ocean.

From Project Gutenberg

The weed growing over every water, and at the bank of the river, shall be pulled up before all grass.

From Project Gutenberg

Lamb fills his case, and lights this the ne plus ultra of a soothing weed.

From Project Gutenberg

We should infer also from some of the early stage plays, that the "players" used the weed even when acting their parts.

From Project Gutenberg

In no part of the world is smoking so common as in South America; here all classes and all ages use the weed.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• drag
• haul
• pick
• pluck
• remove
• rip
• stretch
• take out
• tear
• tow
• trail
• tug
• yank