milkweed

[ milk-weed ]
/ ˈmɪlkˌwid /

noun

any of several plants that secrete a milky juice or latex, especially those of the genus Asclepias, as A. syriaca. Compare milkweed family.
any of various other plants having a milky juice, as certain spurges.

Origin of milkweed

First recorded in 1590–1600; milk + weed1

Words nearby milkweed

milkman, milko, milkshed, milksop, milktoast, milkweed, milkweed beetle, milkweed bug, milkweed butterfly, milkweed family, milkweed tortoise beetle

Example sentences from the Web for milkweed

British Dictionary definitions for milkweed

milkweed
/ (ˈmɪlkˌwiːd) /

noun

Also called: silkweed any plant of the mostly North American genus Asclepias, having milky sap and pointed pods that split open to release tufted seeds: family Asclepiadaceae See also asclepias
any of various other plants having milky sap
orange milkweed another name for butterfly weed
another name for monarch (def. 3)