tumbleweed

[ tuhm-buh l-weed ]
/ ˈtʌm bəlˌwid /

noun

any of various plants, as Amaranthus albus, A. graecizans, or the Russian thistle, Salsola kali, whose branching upper parts become detached from the roots and are driven about by the wind.

Origin of tumbleweed

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; tumble + weed1

Words nearby tumbleweed

tumbledown, tumblehome, tumbler, tumbler gear, tumbler switch, tumbleweed, tumbling, tumbling barrel, tumbling box, tumbrel, tumefacient

Example sentences from the Web for tumbleweed

British Dictionary definitions for tumbleweed

tumbleweed
/ (ˈtʌmbəlˌwiːd) /

noun

any densely branched plant that breaks off near the ground on withering and is rolled about by the wind, esp one of several amaranths of the western US and Australia