Dictionary

weed en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

/wiːd/
(US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *weud Old English wēod Middle English weed English weed From Middle English weed, weod, from Old English wēod (“weed”), from Proto-West Germanic *weud (“weed”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Jood (“weed”), West Frisian wjûd (“weed”), Dutch wied (“unwanted plant, weed”), German Low German Weed (“weed”), Old High German wiota (“fern”). See also woad.

Meanings

(countable) Any plant unwanted at the place where and at the time when it is growing.
- I found down at the side of the house the remains of what must have once been a kitchen garden. Everything was choked with weeds and scutch grass, but the outlines of bed and drill were still there. 1993, John Banville, Ghosts:
- If it isn't in a straight line or marked with a label, it's a weed.
- Some of the weeds that cause an undesirable flavor in milk are: onion, tarweed, scaleweed, garlic, mustard, pepper grass. 1944, Oregon. Agricultural experiment station, Circular of Information - Issues 323-395, page 3:
- The hovel stood in the centre of what had once been a vegetable garden, but was now a patch of rank weeds. Surrounding this, almost like a zareba, was an irregular ring of gorse and brambles, an unclaimed vestige of the original common. 1944, Miles Burton, chapter 5, in The Three Corpse Trick:
(abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable) Ellipsis of duckweed.
alt of duckweed
(archaic, obsolete, uncountable) Underbrush; low shrubs.
- one rushing forth out of the thickest weed 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 4:
- A wild and wanton pard[…]/ Crouched fawning in the weed. 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “Œnone”, in Poems. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 128:
(informal, uncountable) A drug or the like made from the leaves or flowers of a plant. ▸ Cannabis.
- Hold up, hey / For my niggas who be actin' too bold, take a seat / Hope you ready for the next episode / Hey, hey, hey, hey / Smoke weed every day 1999, Dr. Dre, “The Next Episode”, in 2001:
- And I predict you will laugh harder than ever. I’m not saying I’m any funnier. I’m saying weed is now legal in D.C. 2015 March 14, Barack Obama, Remarks by the President at the 2015 Gridiron Dinner:
(colloquial, uncountable, with the) A drug or the like made from the leaves or flowers of a plant. ▸ Tobacco.
(colloquial, countable, obsolete) A drug or the like made from the leaves or flowers of a plant. ▸ A cigar.
- "If ever you smoke, my dear aunt (and I am told that many women take a quiet weed under the rose), be very careful how you choose your cigars." 1862, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lady Audley's Secret:
(countable) A weak horse, which is therefore unfit to breed from.
(UK, countable, informal) A puny person; one who has little physical strength.
(countable, figuratively) Something unprofitable or troublesome; anything useless.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
weeds	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Translations (186)

be пустазе́лле (unwanted plant) · io mala herbo (unwanted plant) · hu gaz (unwanted plant) · mk мара (slang: marijuana) · mi tōtō (unwanted plant) · sk burina (unwanted plant) · fi käyhä (slang: marijuana) · fa هرز واش (unwanted plant) · da tjald (slang: marijuana) · lb Onkraut (unwanted plant) · ga donán (informal: puny person) · mi māwhaiwhai (unwanted plant) · ru тра́вка (slang: marijuana) · es yerbajo (unwanted plant) · ja 役立たず (informal: puny person) · nn ugras (unwanted plant) · fi rikkaruoho (unwanted plant) · ru со́рная трава́ (unwanted plant) · fr mauvaise herbe (unwanted plant) · fi ganja (slang: marijuana) · el φούντα (slang: marijuana) · sh trava (slang: marijuana) · el χόρτο (slang: marijuana) · pl chwast (figuratively: something useless) · ca mala herba (unwanted plant) · bg кранта (weak horse) · pl zielsko (underbrush; low shrubs) · gd raineach (slang: marijuana) · it erba (slang: marijuana) · nl zwakkeling (informal: puny person) · ja 柴 (underbrush; low shrubs) · pl cherlak (informal: puny person) · sk tráva (slang: marijuana) · yue 草 (slang: marijuana) · nl wiet (slang: marijuana) · sh kórov (unwanted plant) · sv gräs (slang: marijuana) · ro iarbă (slang: marijuana) · tr ot (slang: marijuana) · mi māheuheu (unwanted plant) · ru сорня́к (unwanted plant) · fr adventice (unwanted plant) · ro bălărie (unwanted plant) · id rumput liar (unwanted plant) · ja 雑草 (unwanted plant) · es yuyu (unwanted plant) · fi pätkä (informal: puny person) · fi höpöheinä (slang: marijuana) · yi גראָז (slang: marijuana) · he ירוק (slang: marijuana) · sw kwekwe (unwanted plant) · izh rikkaheinä (unwanted plant) · el μαύρο (slang: marijuana) · sq Marijuane (slang: marijuana) · am ማረም (unwanted plant) · fi mari (slang: marijuana) · ja ヒヨッコ (informal: puny person) · sw bangi (slang: marijuana) · pt erva daninha (unwanted plant) · is gras (slang: marijuana) · ga raithneach (slang: marijuana) · tl lamon (unwanted plant) · cic alba (unwanted plant) · fi hukkapätkä (informal: puny person) · es maleza (unwanted plant) · eo herbo (slang: marijuana) · da ukrudt (unwanted plant) · gd luibheanach (unwanted plant) · cmn 雜草 /杂草 (unwanted plant) · be бур'я́н (unwanted plant) · el ζιζάνιο (unwanted plant) · pl mięczak (informal: puny person) · ka სარეველა (unwanted plant) · fi heinä (slang: marijuana) · cs tráva (slang: marijuana) · fr beuh (slang: marijuana) · hi गांजा (slang: marijuana) · hy մոլախոտ (unwanted plant) · el αγριόχορτο (unwanted plant) · fa گرس (slang: marijuana) · hu marihuána (slang: marijuana) · az alaq (unwanted plant) · gd luibh (unwanted plant) · fi tuutti (slang: marijuana) · fi haaderi (slang: marijuana) · eo fiherbo (unwanted plant) · is illgresi (unwanted plant) · fi turhake (figuratively: something useless) · te కలుపు (unwanted plant) · fi ruoho (slang: marijuana) · ar عُشْبَة ضَارَّة (unwanted plant) · fa علف هرز (unwanted plant) · ny tchire (unwanted plant) · bg бурен (unwanted plant) · fr marie-jeanne (slang: marijuana) · ga meatachán (informal: puny person) · es yuyo (unwanted plant) · fi varvikko (underbrush; low shrubs) · ro buruiană (unwanted plant) · la herba (unwanted plant) · fo ókrút (unwanted plant) · ko 잡초 (unwanted plant) · it erbaccia (unwanted plant) · ar حَشيش (slang: marijuana) · bg трева (slang: marijuana) · mk ганџа (slang: marijuana) · no pot (slang: marijuana) · th วัชพืช (unwanted plant) · tl hilamon (unwanted plant) · es hierba (slang: marijuana) · tr yaban otu (unwanted plant) · es hierbajo (unwanted plant) · am አረም (unwanted plant) · bo རྩྭ་ཡན (unwanted plant) · fi kopukka (weak horse) · pt mato (unwanted plant) · es alfeñique (informal: puny person) · he עֵשֶׂב שׁוֹטֶה (unwanted plant) · ht move zèb (unwanted plant) · tl damo (slang: marijuana) · sv ogräs (unwanted plant) · eo trudherbo (unwanted plant) · fi paukku (slang: marijuana) · pl trawka (slang: marijuana) · za nya (unwanted plant) · pl zielsko (unwanted plant) · ta களை (unwanted plant) · fi risumies (informal: puny person) · fi luuska (weak horse) · zdj nkwehe (unwanted plant) · kmr ade (unwanted plant) · pl badyl (unwanted plant) · fa گراس (slang: marijuana) · mk трева (slang: marijuana) · es mota (slang: marijuana) · zdj trunku ɓi (unwanted plant) · he גראס (slang: marijuana) · ne झार (unwanted plant) · fr herbe (slang: marijuana) · gd lus (unwanted plant) · ga fiaile (unwanted plant) · cs plevel (unwanted plant) · om aramaa (unwanted plant) · cmn 野草 (unwanted plant) · vi cỏ dại (unwanted plant) · fr chiendent (unwanted plant) · es monte (unwanted plant) · es grifa (slang: marijuana) · hi खरपतवार (unwanted plant) · fy kjitte (unwanted plant) · fi pajari (slang: marijuana) · fi möyhy (slang: marijuana) · fi kynäniska (informal: puny person) · fi blossi (slang: marijuana) · he וויד (slang: marijuana) · ms rumpai (unwanted plant) · fi hatsi (slang: marijuana) · de Gras (slang: marijuana) · fi yrtti (slang: marijuana) · am እንክርዳድ (unwanted plant) · ja クサ (slang: marijuana) · bn গাঁজা (slang: marijuana) · es mala hierba (unwanted plant) · fi rikkakasvi (unwanted plant) · hu gyom (unwanted plant) · bg плевел (unwanted plant) · no ugress (unwanted plant) · fi pössy (slang: marijuana) · pt maconha (slang: marijuana) · it maria (slang: marijuana) · de Unkraut (unwanted plant) · fi pilvi (slang: marijuana) · nl wied (unwanted plant) · eo herbaĉo (unwanted plant) · mi tahuere (unwanted plant) · eo malbonherbo (unwanted plant) · af dagga (slang: marijuana) · ar بانْجو (slang: marijuana) · nl onkruid (unwanted plant) · et umbrohi (unwanted plant) · uk бур'я́н (unwanted plant) · cy chwynnyn (unwanted plant) · lv nezāle (unwanted plant) · pl chwast (unwanted plant) · lt piktžolė (unwanted plant) · fi dulla (slang: marijuana)

wikidata: Q101879

weed en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

/wiːd/
(US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English weeden, weden, from Old English wēodian (“to weed”), from Proto-Germanic *weudōną (“to uproot, weed”). Cognate with West Frisian wjûde, wjudde (“to weed”), Dutch wieden (“to weed”), German Low German weden (“to weed”).

Meanings

(transitive) To remove unwanted vegetation from a cultivated area (especially grass).
- One cool morning last April in Pyongyang, North Korea, I watched a woman squat over a patch of grass along the Daedong River. A large handkerchief covering her head was knotted below her chin, encircling her sunburned and wrinkled face. As a van passed by blaring patriotic hymns from the oversize speakers on its roof, she weeded the riverbank. In North Korea, keeping the neighborhood clean is a civic duty. But she was far from any neighborhood. She was gathering the weeds for food. 2017 December 17, Kee B. Park, “Amid Talk of Nuclear Weapons, North Koreans Go Hungry”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 18 Dec 2017, Opinion:
- I weeded my flower bed.
- If these plants are young, the weeders do not see them; and in this case, when they grow larger, the land must be again weeded. But the small plants, which are not less prejudicial, such as the wild Fitch, the wild Oat, Darnel, Fennel-flower, Knot-grass, Restharrow, Fox-tail, the several sorts of Bindweed, (Convolvulus) and all the small Poppies, remain in the field. 1764, Duhamel du Monceau, translated by Philip Miller, The Elements of Agriculture, volume 1, page 265:
(figuratively, transitive) To pilfer the best items from a collection.
- She now regretted much having had the case taken to the duke's, for surely it might have been weeded to very good purpose, and no one the wiser. 1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter XXXVIII, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 183:
(qualifier:library science, transitive) To systematically remove materials from a library collection based on a set of criteria.
- Librarians overwhelmingly believe that weeding increases use of books and patron satisfaction. 2003, Juris Dilevko, Lisa Gottlieb, “Weed to achieve: a fundamental part of the public library mission?”, in Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Technical Services, volume 27, number 1, →DOI, page 73:
- We usually weed romance novels that haven't circulated in over a year.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Source
weeds	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres	lexicographic
weeding	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
weeded	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
weeded	Tense=Past	lexicographic

Relateds

weed out

Translations (70)

izh kitkiä (to remove weeds from) · es deshierbar (to remove weeds from) · pt capinar (to remove weeds from) · be пало́ць (to remove weeds from) · ca desherbar (to remove weeds from) · gl randar (to remove weeds from) · ja 雑草を抜く (to remove weeds from) · ca desbrossar (to remove weeds from) · fi kitkeä (to remove weeds from) · ro plivi (to remove weeds from) · es desyerbar (to remove weeds from) · es desbrozar (to remove weeds from) · sw kwekwe (to remove weeds from) · gl desherbar (to remove weeds from) · es aparar (to remove weeds from) · alt одоор (to remove weeds from) · cmn 除草 (to remove weeds from) · ee ŋlɔ (to remove weeds from) · rup sãrcljedz (to remove weeds from) · la runcō (to remove weeds from) · io desherbachizar (to remove weeds from) · tk otamak (to remove weeds from) · ko 매다 (to remove weeds from) · ja 草取りをする (to remove weeds from) · om aramuu (to remove weeds from) · mk плеви (to remove weeds from) · pl odchwaszczać (to remove weeds from) · tl gamasin (to remove weeds from) · nci huihuitla (to remove weeds from) · bg плевя́ (to remove weeds from) · da luge (to remove weeds from) · ru прополо́ть (to remove weeds from) · pl plewić (to remove weeds from) · de jäten (to remove weeds from) · es chapear (to remove weeds from) · gl decruar (to remove weeds from) · ta களையெடு (to remove weeds from) · sk pleť (to remove weeds from) · tg хишова кардан (to remove weeds from) · it diserbare (to remove weeds from) · ja 雑草をとる (to remove weeds from) · ru поло́ть (to remove weeds from) · io desherbar (to remove weeds from) · es desmalezar (to remove weeds from) · fr désherber (to remove weeds from) · fi juuria (to remove weeds from) · es escardar (to remove weeds from) · gl sachar (to remove weeds from) · vi làm cỏ (to remove weeds from) · ka მარგლავს (to remove weeds from) · rup plivescu (to remove weeds from) · eo sarki (to remove weeds from) · nrf sèrclier (to remove weeds from) · fa وجین کردن (to remove weeds from) · ko 김매다 (to remove weeds from) · rup prãshescu (to remove weeds from) · hu gyomlál (to remove weeds from) · uk поло́ти (to remove weeds from) · es carpir (to remove weeds from) · mi pāhika (to remove weeds from) · mi ngaki (to remove weeds from) · nl wieden (to remove weeds from) · es sallar (to remove weeds from) · cs plít (to remove weeds from) · mi perepere (to remove weeds from) · la sarriō (to remove weeds from) · mi ngaki tōtō (to remove weeds from) · cmn 鋤草 /锄草 (to remove weeds from) · tyz bjai (to remove weeds from) · es desherbar (to remove weeds from)

weed en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

/wiːd/
(US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English wede, from Old English wǣd (“dress, attire, clothing, garment”), from Proto-Germanic *wēdiz, from which also wad, wadmal. Cognate with Dutch lijnwaad, Dutch gewaad, German Wat.

Meanings

(archaic) A garment or piece of clothing.
- In words, like weeds, I’ll wrap me o’er, ⁠Like coarsest clothes against the cold: ⁠But that large grief which these enfold Is given in outline and no more. 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto V”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
- Lie here ye weedes that I diſdaine to weare, This compleat armor, and this curtle-axe Are adiuncts more beſeeming Tamburlaine. c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:
- Prince [Don Pedro] Come let vs hence, and put on other weedes, / And then to Leonatoes we will goe. / Claudio And Hymen now with luckier iſſue ſpeeds, / Then this for whom we rendred vp this woe. Than this for whom we rend'red up this woe! 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, Much Adoe about Nothing. […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
- Shee, in a watchet vveed, with manie a curious waue, / VVhich as a princelie gift great Amphitrite gaue; […] 1612, Michael Drayton, “The Fift Song”, in [John Selden], editor, Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britaine, […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for M[athew] Lownes; I[ohn] Browne; I[ohn] Helme; I[ohn] Busbie, →OCLC, page 75:
- These two dignified persons were followed by their respective attendants, and at a more humble distance by their guide, whose figure had nothing more remarkable than it derived from the usual weeds of a pilgrim. 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter IV, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 65:
(archaic) Clothing collectively; clothes, dress.
- His mother o'er her barm-cloth wide / Gazed forward somewhat timidly / The new-comer's bright weed to see. 1870, William Morris, “September: The Land East of the Sun and West of the Moon”, in The Earthly Paradise: A Poem, part III, London: F[rederick] S[tartridge] Ellis, […], →OCLC, page 80:
(archaic) An article of dress worn in token of grief; a mourning garment or badge.
- He wore a weed on his hat.
(archaic) A hatband.
- […] he was beat and retreated back to his old encampment with his weed on his hat dragging on the ground, with the loss of more than nineteen hundred men; […] 1888, Duane Hamilton Hurd, History of Essex County, Massachusetts, page 1183:
(archaic) Especially in the plural as widow's weeds: (female) mourning apparel.
- Poor Girl! put on thy stifling widow’s weed, / And ’scape at once from Hope’s accursed bands; […] 1820, John Keats, “Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil. A Story from Boccaccio.”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, stanza XXIX, page 63:
- O Sir, if we could but see the shape of our deare Mother England, as poets are wont to give a personal form to what they please, how would she appeare, think ye, but in a mourning weed, with ashes upon her head, and tears abundantly flowing from her eyes, to behold so many of her children expos'd at once, and thrust from things of dearest necessity, because their conscience could not assent to things which the Bishops thought indifferent. 1641 May, John Milton, “The Second Book”, in Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England: And the Causes that hitherto have Hindred it. […], [London]: […] Thomas Vnderhill, →OCLC; republished in Will Taliaferro Hale, editor, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England (Yale Studies in English; LIV), New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1916, →OCLC, page 57:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
weeds	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Translations (2)

nl lijngewaad ((archaic) clothing collectively) · fi vaate ((archaic) clothing collectively)

weed en · NOUN · etymology 4

Pronunciation

/wiːd/
(US) audio

Etymology

From Scots weid, weed. The longer form weidinonfa, wytenonfa (Old Scots wedonynpha) is attested since the 1500s. Jamieson's Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language analyses the longer form as a compound meaning "onfa(ll) of a weed", whereas the Scottish National Dictionary/DSL considers the short form a derivative of the longer form, and derives its first element from Old English wēdan (“to be mad or delirious”), from wōd (“mad, enraged”).

Meanings

(Scotland, countable, uncountable) A sudden illness or relapse, often attended with fever, which befalls those who are about to give birth, are giving birth, or have recently given birth or miscarried or aborted.
- The patient […] aborted between the second and third month; […] felt herself so well on the second day after, that she went to the washing-green; and, on her return home in the evening, was seized with a violent rigor, which, by herself and those around her, was considered as the forerunner of a weed. 1822, William Campbell, “Observations on the Disease usually termed Puerperal Fever, with Cases”, in The Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, volume 18:
(Scotland, countable, uncountable) Lymphangitis in a horse.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
weeds	Number=Plur		lexicographic

weed en · VERB · etymology 5

Pronunciation

/wiːd/
(US) audio

Etymology

From the verb wee.

Meanings

(form-of, participle, past) simple past and past participle of wee
form of wee

weed en · NOUN · etymology 1

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Etymology

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Translations (186)

weed en · VERB · etymology 2

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Translations (70)

weed en · NOUN · etymology 3

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Translations (2)

weed en · NOUN · etymology 4

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weed en · VERB · etymology 5

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