Weed
/wiːd/noun
A wild plant growing where it is not wanted, especially among crops or garden plants.
Did you know?The word originally just meant any plant, and its darker “unwanted growth” sense only emerged as agriculture turned some plants into enemies.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*u̯eid-
“to see, know”
Old English
OE
wēod
“a herb, plant, or weed”
Middle English
ME
wede
“a herb, plant, or unwanted plant”
Modern English
English
weed
“a wild plant growing where it is not wanted”