weed

Pronunciation: /wiːd/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun any plant that crowds out cultivated plants
  2. noun a black band worn by a man (on the arm or hat) as a sign of mourning
  3. noun street names for marijuana

Etymology

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.

In classic literature

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
vascular plant
Narrower (hyponyms)
ragweed, jointed charlock, nettle, barnaby's thistle, corn spurry, fireweed
Opposite (antonyms)
cultivated plant

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