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 byout ).

   to weed out crab grass from a lawn.

3. to remove as being undesirable, inefficient, or superfluous (often followed byout ).

   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. Archaic.,  Often weeds

   1. a garment.

      clad in rustic weeds.

   2. clothing.

Weed

³

[weed]

noun

1. Thurlow 1797–1882, U.S. journalist and politician.

weed

¹

/ 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. 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)

weed

²

/ wiːd /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• weedless adjective
• weedlike adjective
• unweeded adjective
• weeder noun

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

Origin of weed²

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. (deep) in / into the weeds, 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

Eventually, AI holdouts will either get onboard or get weeded out.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Brian’s home sits on a dirt lot, where several chickens peck at the weeds next to a table under a large tarp that blocks the sun during hot summer months.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In reality, he’s deeply in the weeds of domestic politics in distant lands.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The roof leaked, the carriage horses’ ribs showed, and the flower gardens were overgrown with weeds.

Read more on Literature

A large swath of the country, from eastern Washington to western Arkansas, is currently facing an avalanche of hard and spiky bouncing beach-balls of the noxious, unpleasant weed.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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