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

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

Examples from the Web for weeding

This system is meant to self-regulate by weeding out the bad eggs.
Inside Uber’s Political War Machine|Olivia Nuzzi|June 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Transparency and clarity in financial markets have been key factors in weeding out bad actors and fraudsters.
How Is America Really Doing? Wharton’s Idea for Better Accountability|Peter Schweizer|July 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Jupiter trine Pluto, Friday, sees you weeding out buds who try to tone you down.
Horoscopes for June 12-18, 2011|Starsky + Cox|June 12, 2011|DAILY BEAST
As one can imagine, this is a huge project: weeding out Muslim infiltrators in the U.S. government.
The Charlatans Have Taken Over 9/11|Reza Aslan|September 9, 2010|DAILY BEAST

George Schultz once said that much of diplomacy is merely “weeding the garden.”
The Easiest Fix to Obama's Mideast Woes|Reza Aslan|February 23, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Now all these dangerous weapons went over into a poor man's garden, where his son and some other boys were weeding it.
Forgotten Tales of Long Ago|E. V. Lucas
You know the true gardening rhyme, dont you?that One years seeding makes seven years weeding.
The Children's Book of Gardening|Mrs. Alfred Sidgwick
The man had also turned around, bent down, and gone on weeding the corn.
The Delight Makers|Adolf Bandelier
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
By the time the first weeding is finished, the plant will be over a foot high, and if necessary a second weeding is then given.
Sport and Work on the Nepaul Frontier|James Inglis

British Dictionary definitions for weeding

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

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 weeding

weed

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

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.

weed

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

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Origin of weed

Examples from the Web for weeding

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Word Origin for weed

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