weed

[ weed ]

/ wid /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR weed ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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,

Informal. tobacco.
Slang. marijuana.

verb (used with object)

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 by out): to weed out crab grass from a lawn.

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

to rid (something) of undesirable or superfluous elements.

verb (used without object)

to remove weeds or the like.

Nearby words

wednesdays, wee, wee free, wee hours, wee-wee, weed, weed cutter, weed killer, weed out, weed, thurlow, weed-killer

Idioms

(deep) in/into the weeds, Slang.

(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.
in trouble; overwhelmed by problems: He knows our marriage is in deep weeds.
involved in the details: I’m in the weeds of planning my wedding.

Also in deep weeds.

Origin of weed

before 900; Middle English wede, Old English wēod; cognate with Old Saxon wiod weed, Middle Dutch wiet fern

Related formsweed·less, adjectiveweed·like, adjectiveun·weed·ed, adjective

Definition for weed (2 of 3)

weed

[ weed ]

/ wid /

noun

weeds, mourning garments: widow's weeds.

a mourning band of black crepe or cloth, as worn on a man's hat or coat sleeve.

Often weeds. Archaic.

a garment: clad in rustic weeds.
clothing.

Origin of weed

before 900; Middle English wede, Old English wǣd, (ge)wǣde garment, clothing; cognate with Old Saxon wād, gewādi, Old High German wāt, gewāti clothing; cf. wadmal

Definition for weed (3 of 3)

Weed

[ weed ]

/ wid /

noun

Thur·low

[thur-loh] /ˈθɜr loʊ/, 1797–1882, U.S. journalist and politician.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for weed

Antoine himself had recently been arrested on a six-year-old warrant for a dime bag of weed.
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown|Batya Ungar-Sargon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There was a lot of weed, he snorted a ton of coke, was guzzling Bloody Marys.
The Unbelievable (True) Story of the World’s Most Infamous Hash Smuggler|Marlow Stern|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After all, weed is practically legal in the five boroughs these days.
Bill Bratton Scolds Giggling Audience at American Justice Summit|Lloyd Grove|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Allowing residents to grow, smoke, and gift weed, it legalizes participating in the weed community, but not profiting from it.
The Real Election Winner: Weed|Abby Haglage|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He also smokes copious amounts of weed mooched off his friends and makes miracles by turning water into cognac.
‘Black Jesus’ Resurrected: Racial Stereotypes or Subversive Comedy?|Rawiya Kameir|August 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He bought groceries of a hardware dealer named Davidson, at Albany, that town whence came Mr. Weed's clerk.
North America, Volume II (of 2)|Anthony Trollope
To pluck a weed from the roadside and present it to one's sovereign would be no better than an insult.
The Expositor's Bible: The Second Book of Samuel|W. G. Blaikie
Well, said I, but pull it for me; there are sometimes beautiful colours in a weed.
Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded|Samuel Richardson
If we must serve our time at weeding, let us at least weed intelligently.
The Library of Work and Play: Outdoor Work|Mary Rogers Miller
Or perhaps Spot would stop and reach for a bunch of Commonwealth weed.
From Chart House to Bush Hut|Charles W. L. Bryde

British Dictionary definitions for weed (1 of 2)

weed

/ (wiːd) /

noun

any plant that grows wild and profusely, esp one that grows among cultivated plants, depriving them of space, food, etc

slang

the weed tobacco
marijuana

informal a thin or unprepossessing person

an inferior horse, esp one showing signs of weakness of constitution

verb

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

Derived Formsweeder, nounweedless, adjectiveweedlike, adjective

Word Origin for weed

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

British Dictionary definitions for weed (2 of 2)

weed

/ (wiːd) /

noun

rare a black crepe band worn to indicate mourningSee also weeds

Word Origin for weed

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for weed (1 of 2)

weed

"plant not valued for use or beauty," Old English weod, uueod "grass, herb, weed," from Proto-Germanic *weud- (cf. Old Saxon wiod, East Frisian wiud), of unknown origin. Meaning "tobacco" is from c.1600; that of "marijuana" is from 1920s.

Word Origin and History for weed (1 of 2)

weed

"to clear the ground of weeds," late Old English weodian, from the source of weed (n.). Related: Weeded; weeding.

weed