(a) An uncultivated, usu. undesirable, plant, a weed; also, a wild aquatic plant [quot. c1450]; (b) fig. and in fig. context, applied to other undesirable things: a person of bad stock or noxious character, a vice, etc.; also as a term of abuse; (c) any herbaceous plant; ?also [1st quot.], a reed or woody plant;—used pejoratively; (d) coll. weeds, brush; also, a weedy area, an overgrown place [quot. c1300];—also pl.; (e) in proverbs and conventional comparisons; (f) in cpds.: ~ hok [OE wēod-hōc], an implement for cutting weeds; also in fig. context; ~ silver, a manorial rent, perh. paid in commutation of obligatory weeding; ?error for wode-silver [see wode n.(2) 5a.(b)].

Bot. In names of plants: belle ~, ?rue or meadow rue (genus Ruta or Thalictrum); also, ?lungwort [quot. a1500 MS Sln.282; perh. error for bolle ~]; bolle (?bole) ~, lungwort, perh. common lungwort Pulmonaria officinalis; also, common knapweed Centaurea nigra; ?also, wild carrot Daucus carota [quot. a1450]; case ~, shepherd’s purse Capsella bursa-pastoris; chiken ~ [see also chiken-wed n.]; clife (?clif) ~, agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria; clubbe ~, common knapweed Centaurea nigra; cod ~, knapweed (genus Centaurea) [perh. error for cou ~]; cou ~, knapweed (genus Centaurea); ?also, some other plant [quot. 1440, 2nd]; grening ~, a plant used for making green dye, ?dyer’s greenweed Genista tinctoria; knoppe ~, knapweed (genus Centaurea); maithe (?maiden) ~, stinking chamomile Anthemis cotula or scented mayweed Chamilla recutita [see also maithe n. (a)]; mug ~ [see mug-wed n.]; ragge ~, ?butcher’s broom Ruscus asculeatus; water ~, Culrage Polygonum hydropiper.

In surname and place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.254].