Weed: meaning, definitions and examples

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weed

[ wiːd ]

Noun / Verb

^{Context #1 | Noun}

drug

A wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants.

Synonyms

unwanted plant, wild plant.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
weed	Commonly used in informal or everyday conversation to describe plants that are generally considered undesirable in a garden or farm. I need to remove the weeds from the garden this weekend The lawn is full of weeds after the rain
unwanted plant	A more general and slightly formal term, appropriate for use in scientific or educational contexts when discussing plants that are not desired in a particular area. An unwanted plant can disrupt the growth of more desirable species The researcher identified several unwanted plants in the test plot
wild plant	Used to describe plants that grow naturally in the wild, without human intervention. This term does not necessarily have a negative connotation. The field was full of beautiful wild plants They studied the habitat of various wild plants in the forest

Word

Description / Examples

weed

Commonly used in informal or everyday conversation to describe plants that are generally considered undesirable in a garden or farm.

I need to remove the weeds from the garden this weekend
The lawn is full of weeds after the rain

unwanted plant

A more general and slightly formal term, appropriate for use in scientific or educational contexts when discussing plants that are not desired in a particular area.

An unwanted plant can disrupt the growth of more desirable species
The researcher identified several unwanted plants in the test plot

wild plant

Used to describe plants that grow naturally in the wild, without human intervention. This term does not necessarily have a negative connotation.

The field was full of beautiful wild plants
They studied the habitat of various wild plants in the forest

Examples of usage

The garden was full of weeds.
She pulled out the weeds from the flower bed.

^{Context #2 | Noun}

drug

Cannabis, especially as smoked or consumed for its psychoactive effects.

Synonyms

cannabis, marijuana, pot.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
weed	Very informal, slang term mostly used in casual conversation, often carries a negative connotation. He's always looking for weed She quit smoking weed last year
marijuana	Commonly used in both casual and formal settings to describe the drug for recreational or medicinal use. Marijuana is legalized in many states for medicinal purposes He was arrested for possessing marijuana
pot	Informal, slang term often used in casual conversation or when discussing recreational use. Do you want to smoke some pot later? He got caught with a bag of pot
cannabis	Appropriate for formal or medical discussions about the plant or its derivatives. Cannabis has been shown to have various medical benefits The cannabis industry has grown rapidly

Examples of usage

He was caught smoking weed in the park.
She bought some weed from her dealer.

^{Context #3 | Verb}

remove unwanted plants

Remove unwanted plants from (an area of ground).

Synonyms

clear out, remove weeds.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
weed	Use when you want to refer to the process of taking out unwanted plants from a garden or field. Typically used in gardening and farming. I need to weed my garden this weekend.
remove weeds	A specific phrase that directly points to the action of taking out weeds. This phrase is commonly used for clarity when multiple tasks are discussed and you want to emphasize this particular one. Our first task this morning is to remove weeds from the flower beds.
clear out	Used in a broader context, often involving removing various types of clutter or unwanted items, not limited to just plants. It can be used in both literal and figurative ways. We need to clear out the attic before we can move the new furniture in.

Word

Description / Examples

weed

Use when you want to refer to the process of taking out unwanted plants from a garden or field. Typically used in gardening and farming.

I need to weed my garden this weekend.

remove weeds

A specific phrase that directly points to the action of taking out weeds. This phrase is commonly used for clarity when multiple tasks are discussed and you want to emphasize this particular one.

Our first task this morning is to remove weeds from the flower beds.

clear out

Used in a broader context, often involving removing various types of clutter or unwanted items, not limited to just plants. It can be used in both literal and figurative ways.

We need to clear out the attic before we can move the new furniture in.

Examples of usage

She weeded the vegetable patch.
He spent the afternoon weeding the garden.

Translations

Translations of the word "weed" in other languages:

🇵🇹 erva

🇮🇳 घास

🇩🇪 Unkraut

🇮🇩 gulma

🇺🇦 бур'ян

🇵🇱 chwast

🇯🇵 雑草 (zassō)

🇫🇷 mauvaise herbe

🇪🇸 hierba

🇹🇷 ot

🇰🇷 잡초 (jabcho)

🇸🇦 عشب

🇨🇿 plevel

🇸🇰 burina

🇨🇳 草 (cǎo)

🇸🇮 plevel

🇮🇸 illgresi

🇰🇿 арамшөп

🇬🇪 სარეველა

🇦🇿 alaq otu

🇲🇽 hierba

Etymology

The word 'weed' originated from the Old English word 'weod', which referred to herbs or grass. Over time, it came to be associated with unwanted plants that grow in gardens or agricultural fields. In modern usage, 'weed' is commonly used to describe both unwanted plants and cannabis, a psychoactive drug. The slang term 'weed' for cannabis became popular in the 20th century, particularly in reference to marijuana.

Word Frequency Rank

At #7,173 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.

...
7170 differentiated
7171 anatomy
7172 earthly
7173 weed
7174 spark
7175 posture
7176 semantic
...