woad
Americannoun
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a European plant, Isatis tinctoria, of the mustard family, formerly cultivated for a blue dye extracted from its leaves.
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the dye extracted from this plant.
noun
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a European plant, Isatis tinctoria, formerly cultivated for its leaves, which yield a blue dye: family Brassicaceae (crucifers) See also dyer's-weed dyer's rocket
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the dye obtained from this plant, used esp by the ancient Britons, as a body dye
Etymology
Origin of woad
before 1000; Middle English wode, Old English wād (cognate with German Waid ); akin to French guède, Medieval Latin waizda < Germanic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Woad though was frustrated at her inability to shoot a lower score after missing a series of makeable birdie putts.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
Chanettee had seven birdies and two bogeys and Woad had six birdies before her lone bogey at the 18th dropped her out of the lead.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
"It was good, but like it was weird," Woad said.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
World number one Jeeno Thitikul and British golfers Charley Hull and Lottie Woad are among the players confirmed to compete.
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026
The two plants Weld and Woad from the similarity of names are frequently confounded with each other, and some of the best agricultural writers have fallen into this error.
From The Botanist's Companion, Volume II by Salisbury, William
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.
