a valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop.
any undesirable or troublesome plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted.
The vacant lot was covered with weeds.
Informal. a cigarette or cigar.
Slang. a marijuana cigarette.
a thin, ungainly person or animal.
a wretched or useless animal, especially a horse unfit for racing or breeding purposes.
the weed,
to free from weeds or troublesome plants; root out weeds from.
to weed a garden.
to root out or remove (a weed or weeds), as from a garden (often followed byout ).
to weed out crab grass from a lawn.
to remove as being undesirable, inefficient, or superfluous (often followed byout ).
to weed out inexperienced players.
to rid (something) of undesirable or superfluous elements.
weeds, mourning garments.
widow's weeds.
a mourning band of black crepe or cloth, as worn on a man's hat or coat sleeve.
Archaic. Often weeds
a garment.
clad in rustic weeds.
clothing.
any plant that grows wild and profusely, esp one that grows among cultivated plants, depriving them of space, food, etc
slang
tobacco
marijuana
informal a thin or unprepossessing person
an inferior horse, esp one showing signs of weakness of constitution
First recorded before 900; Middle English wed(e), weid, Old English wēod; cognate with Old Saxon wiod “weed,” Middle Dutch wiet “fern”
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; cf. wadmal
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One of its new products is a camera that can distinguish between a plant and a weed, reducing herbicide use and saving farmers money.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
Durnell, a case centered on whether individuals can sue the pesticide manufacturer over claims that glyphosate, the main ingredient in the popular weed killer Roundup, causes cancer.
From Salon • May 1, 2026
India's Election Commission says the revision is meant to weed out duplicate or outdated entries and add genuine voters.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
Neighbors helped them clean the windows and weed the garden.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
Jonah and I bump arms when we reach for the same weed.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
