chickweed en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈtʃɪkwiːd/
Etymology
From Middle English chykwed, chykewode, chike wed, chikewed, chekwede, a variant of chykynwede, chekyn-wede, cheken-wede (literally “chicken-weed”), equivalent to chick + weed. Etymonline claims the name was apparently applied to many plants fit for chicken feed, which were called in Old English cicene mete (“chicken food”).
Meanings
-
(uncountable, usually) Any of several small-leaved herbs of the genera Cerastium and Stellaria. ▸ especially common chickweed (Stellaria media), a common, edible weed in North America and Europe.
I look at the little sprigs of chickweed trembling among the bean shoots and I am strangely moved. Such steadfastness! Such yearning! They want to live too. That is all they ask: to have their little moment in the world.
1993, John Banville, Ghosts:
- (uncountable, usually) Any of several small-leaved herbs of the genera Cerastium and Stellaria. ▸ Stellaria pro parte
- (uncountable, usually) Any of several small-leaved herbs of the genera Cerastium and Stellaria. ▸ Cerastium (mouse-ear chickweed)
- (uncountable, usually) Other plants of similar appearance and habit, including those of species: ▸ Ageratum conyzoides
- (uncountable, usually) Other plants of similar appearance and habit, including those of species: ▸ Holosteum (jagged chickweed)
- (uncountable, usually) Other plants of similar appearance and habit, including those of species: ▸ Moenchia (upright chickweed)
- (uncountable, usually) Other plants of similar appearance and habit, including those of species: ▸ Paronychia spp. (nailwort, whitlow-wort)
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| chick-weed | alternative | lexicographic | |
| chickweeds | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
sea chickweed · mouse-eared chickweed · red chickweed · chickweed wintergreen
Translations (39)
pt morrião-dos-passarinhos (herb) · bg врабчови чревца (herb) · tr kanarya otu (herb) · no vassarve (herb) · mi kohukohu (herb) · sv våtarv (herb) · pl gwiazdnica (herb) · ro răcovină (herb) · tr tavukotu (herb) · nl hoornbloem (herb) · cmn 繁縷 /繁缕 (herb) · da fuglegræs (herb) · pt morugem (herb) · fr mouron blanc (herb) · nl muur (herb) · fo høsnagras (herb) · ru мокри́чник (herb) · is haugarfi (herb) · es álsine (herb) · es capiquí (herb) · ru алзи́на (herb) · ca morró (herb) · lt žliūgė (herb) · es hierba gallinera (herb) · es pamplina (herb) · tr serçe dili (herb) · fo høsnagørn (herb) · ja 繁縷 (herb) · cs ptačinec (herb) · gl muruxa (herb) · cy gwlydd (herb) · de Vogelmiere (herb) · hu tyúkhúr (herb) · tr kuş otu (herb) · ga fliodh (herb) · cy brechlys (herb) · fi pihatähtimö (herb) · it centocchio (herb) · yi שטערנדל (herb)