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weed1

[weed]
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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.
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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.
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verb (used without object)
  1. to remove weeds or the like.
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Idioms
  1. (deep) in/into the weeds, Slang.
    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.
    Also in deep weeds.
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Origin of weed1

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

weed2

[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.
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Origin of weed2

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

Weed

[weed]
noun
  1. Thur·low [thur-loh] /ˈθɜr loʊ/, 1797–1882, U.S. journalist and politician.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

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British Dictionary definitions for weed

weed1

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 weedtobacco
    2. marijuana
  3. informal a thin or unprepossessing person
  4. an inferior horse, esp one showing signs of weakness of constitution
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verb
  1. to remove (useless or troublesome plants) from (a garden, etc)
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Derived Formsweeder, nounweedless, adjectiveweedlike, adjective

Word Origin

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

weed2

noun
  1. rare a black crepe band worn to indicate mourningSee also weeds
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Word Origin

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

n.

"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.

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v.

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

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper