. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
you have here. The definition of the word
will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
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.
Noun
weed (countable and uncountable, plural weeds)
- (countable) Any plant unwanted at the place where and at the time when it is growing.
If it isn't in a straight line or marked with a label, it's a weed.
1944, Miles Burton, chapter 5, in The Three Corpse Trick: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.
- Short for duckweed.
- (uncountable, archaic or obsolete) Underbrush; low shrubs.
- A drug or the like made from the leaves of a plant.
- (uncountable, informal) Cannabis.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:marijuana
2015 March 14, Barack Obama, Remarks by the President at the 2015 Gridiron Dinner: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.
- (with "the", uncountable, colloquial) Tobacco.
- (obsolete, countable) A cigar.
- (countable) A weak horse, which is therefore unfit to breed from.
- (countable, Britain, informal) A puny person; one who has little physical strength.
- (countable, figuratively) Something unprofitable or troublesome; anything useless.
Derived terms
Translations
unwanted plant
- Amharic: እንክርዳድ (ʾənkərdad), ማረም (maräm), አረም (ʾäräm)
- Arabic: عُشْبَة ضَارَّة f (ʕušba ḍārra)
- Armenian: մոլախոտ (hy) (molaxot)
- Azerbaijani: alaq
- Bulgarian: бурен (bg) m (buren), плевел m (plevel)
- Catalan: mala herba f
- Chickasaw: alba
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 野草 (zh) (yěcǎo), 雜草/杂草 (zh) (zácǎo)
- Czech: plevel (cs) m
- Danish: ukrudt
- Dutch: onkruid (nl)
- Esperanto: malbonherbo, trudherbo, fiherbo, herbaĉo (eo)
- Estonian: umbrohi (et)
- Faroese: ókrút n
- Finnish: rikkakasvi (fi), rikkaruoho (fi)
- French: mauvaise herbe (fr) f, chiendent (fr) m, adventice (fr) f
- Georgian: სარეველა (sarevela)
- German: Unkraut (de) n
- Greek: ζιζάνιο (el) n (zizánio), αγριόχορτο (el) n (agrióchorto)
- Haitian Creole: move zèb
- Hebrew: עֵשֶׂב שׁוֹטֶה m ('ésev shoté)
- Hungarian: gaz (hu), gyom (hu)
- Icelandic: illgresi (is) n
- Ido: mala herbo
- Indonesian: rumput liar
- Ingrian: rikkaheinä
- Irish: fiaile (ga)
- Italian: erbaccia (it) f
- Japanese: 雑草 (ja) (ざっそう, zassō)
- Korean: 잡초 (ko) (japcho)
- Kurdish:
- Northern Kurdish: ade (ku)
- Latvian: nezāle f
- Lithuanian: piktžolė f
- Luxembourgish: Onkraut n
- Maori: māheuheu (not used for single plants), tahuere, tōtō, māwhaiwhai (not used for a single plant)
- Nepali: झार (jhār)
- Ngazidja Comorian: nkwehe, trunku ɓi class 5/6
- Norwegian: ugress n
- Oromo: aramaa
- Persian: علف هرز (fa) ('alaf-e harz), هرز واش (harz-vâš)
- Polish: chwast (pl) m, zielsko (pl) n, badyl (pl) m
- Portuguese: erva daninha (pt), mato (pt)
- Romanian: buruiană (ro), bălării (ro) f pl
- Russian: сорня́к (ru) m (sornják), со́рная трава́ f (sórnaja travá)
- Scottish Gaelic: luibh m or f, lus m, luibheanach m
- Serbo-Croatian: kórov (sh) m
- Slovak: burina f
- Spanish: mala hierba (es) f, maleza (es), hierbajo m, yuyo (es) (Argentina), monte (es) m (Mexico)
- Swahili: kwekwe (sw)
- Swedish: ogräs (sv)
- Tagalog: hilamon, lamon
- Tamil: களை (ta) (kaḷai)
- Telugu: కలుపు (te) (kalupu)
- Thai: วัชพืช (th) (wát-chá-pʉ̂ʉt)
- Tibetan: རྩྭ་ཡན (rtswa yan)
- Ukrainian: бур'ян (uk) (burʺjan)
- Welsh: chwynnyn (cy) m
- West Frisian: kjitte c
|
slang: marijuana
- Afrikaans: dagga (af)
- Albanian: Marijuane
- Arabic: بانْجو m (bānjū), حَشيش (ar) m (ḥašīš)
- Bengali: গাঁজা (bn) (gãja)
- Bulgarian: трева (bg) f (treva)
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 草 (yue) (cou2)
- Czech: tráva (cs) f (slang)
- Danish: tjald n
- Dutch: wiet (nl) n
- Esperanto: herbo (eo)
- Finnish: ruoho (fi) (slang), pajari (fi) (slang), möyhy (fi) (slang), pössy (slang), pilvi (fi) (slang), haaderi (slang), blossi (fi) (slang), höpöheinä (slang), paukku (fi) (slang), ganja (fi) (slang), yrtti (fi) (slang), dulla (fi) (slang), mari (fi) (slang), hatsi (fi) (slang), heinä (fi) (slang), käyhä
- French: herbe (fr) f (slang), marie-jeanne (fr) f (slang), beuh (fr) m
- German: Gras (de) n (slang)
- Greek: χόρτο (el) n (chórto), φούντα (el) f (foúnta), μαύρο (el) n (mávro)
- Hebrew: גראס m (gras), ירוק (he) m (yarók), וויד m (wid)
- Hindi: गांजा m (gāñjā)
- Hungarian: marihuána (hu)
- Icelandic: gras (is) n
- Irish: raithneach f
- Italian: maria (it) f, erba (it) f
- Japanese: クサ (kusa)
- Macedonian: трева f (treva), мара f (mara), ганџа f (gandža)
- Norwegian: pot (no)
- Persian: گراس (fa) (gerâs), گرس (fa) (gerass)
- Polish: trawka (pl) f (slang)
- Portuguese: maconha (pt) f (slang)
- Romanian: iarbă (ro) f (slang)
- Russian: тра́вка (ru) f (trávka) (slang)
- Scottish Gaelic: raineach f
- Serbo-Croatian: trava (sh)
- Slovak: tráva f (slang)
- Spanish: hierba (es) f (slang), mota (es) f (slang, Mexico), grifa (es) f (slang, Spain)
- Swedish: gräs (sv) n
- Tagalog: damo (tl)
- Turkish: ot (tr)
|
figuratively: something useless
Translations to be checked
See also
Etymology 2
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”).
Verb
weed (third-person singular simple present weeds, present participle weeding, simple past and past participle weeded)
- To remove unwanted vegetation from a cultivated area (especially grass).
- I weeded my flower bed.
- (figurative) To pilfer the best items from a collection.
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: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.
- (library science) To systematically remove materials from a library collection based on a set of criteria.
- We usually weed romance novels that haven't circulated in over a year.
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:Librarians overwhelmingly believe that weeding increases use of books and patron satisfaction.
Translations
to remove weeds from
- Aromanian: sãrcljedz, prãshescu, plivescu
- Belarusian: пало́ць impf (palócʹ)
- Bulgarian: плевя́ impf (plevjá)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 鋤草/锄草 (zh) (chúcǎo), 除草 (zh) (chúcǎo), 除去莠草 (chùqú yǒu cǎo), 除去雜草/除去杂草 (chùqú zácǎo)
- Czech: plít (cs)
- Danish: luge
- Dutch: wieden (nl)
- Esperanto: sarki (eo)
- Ewe: ŋlɔ
- Finnish: kitkeä (fi), juuria (fi)
- French: désherber (fr)
- Galician: sachar (gl), randar, decruar, desherbar
- German: jäten (de)
- Hungarian: gyomlál (hu)
- Ingrian: kitkiä
- Italian: diserbare (it)
- Japanese: (phrase) 雑草を抜く (zassō o nuku), 草取りをする (kusatori o suru), 雑草をとる (zassō o toru)
- Korean: 매다 (ko) (maeda), 김매다 (gimmaeda)
- Latin: runcō, sarriō
- Macedonian: плеви impf (plevi)
- Maori: perepere, ngaki (mi), pāhika, ngaki tōtō
- Nahuatl: huihuitla
- Norman: sèrclier
- Oromo: aramuu
- Persian: وجین کردن (vejin kardan)
- Polish: plewić (pl), odchwaszczać
- Portuguese: capinar (pt)
- Romanian: plivi (ro)
- Russian: поло́ть (ru) impf (polótʹ), прополо́ть (ru) pf (propolótʹ)
- Slovak: pleť impf
- Southern Altai: одоор (odoor)
- Spanish: escardar (es), desmalezar (es) (Am.), desbrozar (es), chapear (es), carpir (es)
- Swahili: kwekwe (sw)
- Tagalog: gamasin
- Tajik: хишова кардан (xišova kardan)
- Turkmen: otamak
- Ukrainian: поло́ти impf (polóty)
|
See also
Etymology 3
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.
Noun
weed (plural weeds)
- (archaic) A garment or piece of clothing.
c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. The First Part , 2nd edition, part 1, London: 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:Lie here ye weedes that I diſdaine to weare,
This compleat armor, and this curtle-axe
Are adiuncts more beſeeming Tamburlaine.
1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, Much Adoe about Nothing. , quarto edition, London: V S for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]: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!
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: H L for Mathew Lownes; I. Browne; I. Helme; I. Busbie, published 1613, →OCLC, page 75:Shee, in a watchet vveed, with manie a curious waue, / VVhich as a princelie gift great Amphitrite gaue; […]
1820, Walter Scott, chapter IV, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. , volume I, Edinburgh: Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. , →OCLC, page 65: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.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, , →OCLC, Canto V: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.
- (archaic) Clothing collectively; clothes, dress.
- (archaic) An article of dress worn in token of grief; a mourning garment or badge.
He wore a weed on his hat.
- (archaic) Especially in the plural as widow's weeds: (female) mourning apparel.
1641 May, John Milton, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England: And the Cavvses that hitherto have Hindred it; republished as Will Taliaferro Hale, editor, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England (Yale Studies in English; LIV), New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1916, →OCLC, 2nd book, pages 48–49: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.
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:Poor Girl! put on thy stifling widow’s weed, / And ’scape at once from Hope’s accursed bands; […]
Translations
(archaic) clothing collectively
Etymology 4
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”).
Noun
weed (plural weeds)
- (Scotland) 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.
1822, William Campbell, “Observations on the Disease usually termed Puerperal Fever, with Cases”, in The Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, volume 18: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.
- (Scotland) Lymphangitis in a horse.
Etymology 5
From the verb wee.
Verb
weed
- simple past and past participle of wee
References