weed

[ weed ]

/ wid /

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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

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

British Dictionary definitions for weed out (1 of 3)

weed out

verb

(tr, adverb) to separate out, remove, or eliminate (anything unwanted)to weed out troublesome students

British Dictionary definitions for weed out (2 of 3)

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 out (3 of 3)

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 out (1 of 2)

weed

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

Word Origin and History for weed out (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.

Idioms and Phrases with weed out

weed out

Eliminate as inferior, unsuited, or unwanted, as in She was asked to weed out the unqualified applicants. This expression transfers removing weeds from a garden to removing unwanted elements from other enterprises. [First half of 1500s]

weed