# weed

/ˈwid/ (US) · /wˈiːd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/weed
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. unwanted plant

noun · CEFR B1

a wild plant that grows in a garden or field where you do not want it.

For teachers: any plant growing in a location where it is considered undesirable, typically competing with cultivated crops or flowers.

- The garden was full of weeds that were choking the roses.
- The gardener spent the entire morning pulling weeds from the vegetable patch to ensure the young seedlings had enough nutrients to thrive.

### 2. cannabis

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

a common slang name for the drug cannabis.

For teachers: an informal, widely used designation for cannabis or marijuana.

- He was caught smoking weed behind the school building.
- The legalisation of weed in several jurisdictions has led to a significant shift in public perception and law enforcement priorities.

### 3. weak person

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Informal

a person who is physically weak or has no strength.

For teachers: a person perceived as physically weak, puny, or lacking in stamina.

- The older boys called him a weed because he couldn't lift the heavy box.
- Despite being labelled a weed in his youth, he dedicated himself to athletics and eventually became a competitive rower.

### 4. mourning clothes

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

special black clothes worn by a woman whose husband has died.

For teachers: garments worn as a sign of mourning, most commonly surviving in the phrase 'widow's weeds'.

- The widow was dressed in her black weeds for the funeral service.
- In Victorian literature, the image of a woman draped in heavy black weeds served as a potent symbol of social isolation and grief.

### 5. to remove plants

verb · CEFR B1

to pull out unwanted plants from the ground.

For teachers: to remove unwanted vegetation from a cultivated area.

- I need to weed the flower beds before the guests arrive this weekend.
- If you do not weed the patch regularly, the invasive species will quickly overwhelm the native flora you are trying to protect.

### 6. to remove inferior items

verb · CEFR B2

to find and remove the things or people that are not good enough from a group.

For teachers: to systematically remove inferior, unwanted, or redundant items from a collection or group; often used with 'out'.

- The company uses a test to weed out applicants who don't have the right skills.
- The librarian spent weeks weeding out outdated textbooks to make room for the new digital resource centre.

Usage: Often used as the phrasal verb 'weed out'.

## Examples

- I spent the whole afternoon pulling weeds out of the garden.
- The abandoned lot was completely overgrown with tall weeds and rusted machinery.
- Agricultural scientists are developing new methods to control invasive weeds that have become resistant to standard chemical treatments over several generations.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.