waterweed

noun

wa·​ter·​weed ˈwȯ-tər-ˌwēd How to pronounce waterweed (audio)
ˈwä-
: any of various floating or submerged aquatic plants (such as elodea) having usually inconspicuous flowers

Examples of waterweed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Granta was once clear, but too many fertilizers now leach off the adjacent land, and the river is choked in waterweed. Anelise Chen, The Atlantic, 27 May 2021 Since then, the state has worked diligently to restore wetland habitats, where swans forage for the stems and leaves of waterweed, pondweeds and muskgrass among other plants. Cameron Fields, cleveland, 12 Mar. 2021 On tournament day, the anglers steered their sleek, low-riding boats, some costing upward of $75,000, to places with thick patches of invasive water primrose and Brazilian waterweed. Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Dec. 2020 Another major lake, Ulsoor, is choked with garbage and construction waste and is gasping under a blanket of thick waterweeds. Washington Post, 16 May 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waterweed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of waterweed was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near waterweed

Cite this Entry

“Waterweed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waterweed. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

waterweed

noun
wa·​ter·​weed -ˌwēd How to pronounce waterweed (audio)
: any of various water plants (as elodea) usually with small flowers

More from Merriam-Webster on waterweed

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