What is weed? How to use in English

Definition & pronunciation of weed

weednoun

cần sa

/wiːd//wiːd/

Where does the word weed come from?

The word "weed" has a complex and evolving etymology. The term originally referred to a plant that was deemed unwanted or troublesome, growing in areas where it was not desired. This meaning dates back to Old English, with the word "wēd" (or "wēdde") meaning "to trouble" or "to disturb". In this sense, a weed was any plant that was seen as a nuisance, whether a dandelion in a garden or a thistle in a field. Over time, the term "weed" took on a broader meaning, encompassing not just plants but also animals and other living things that were considered pests or nuisances. Today, the word "weed" is commonly used in fields such as agriculture, ecology, and medicine, often referring to plants that are invasive and difficult to eradicate.

Vocabulary summary weed

typenoun

meaning(botany) weed

meaning(the weed) cigarettes

exampleto weed out the herd

meaningskinny horse; skinny person

typetransitive verb

meaningweed

meaningeliminate, exclude (bad, inferior things)

exampleto weed out the herd

Example of vocabulary weednamespace

meaning

a wild plant growing where it is not wanted, especially among crops or garden plants

  • The yard was overgrown with weeds.
  • Routine maintenance of the garden consists of keeping weeds under control.
  • There were weeds pushing up through the gravel.
meaning

any wild plant without flowers that grows in water and forms a green floating mass

meaning

tobacco or cigarettes

  • I wish I could give up the weed (= stop smoking).
meaning

the drug cannabis

meaning

a person with a weak character or body

  • Don’t be such a weed!

Idioms of vocabulary weed

in the weeds
with more problems, work or commitments than you can manage
  • The bartender was alone and in the weeds, so we had to wait twenty minutes to order.
too concerned with the details of something
  • I don't want to get too deep in the weeds here, but here's the short version:…

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