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milkweed
noun
milk·weed
ˈmilk-ˌwēd
: any of various plants that secrete latex
especially
: any of a genus (Asclepias of the family Apocynaceae, the dogbane family) of erect chiefly perennial herbs with milky juice and umbellate flowers
Examples of milkweed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In essence, trees developing this adaptation are not all that different from Darwin’s finches evolving special beaks to crack particular seed shells, or a monarch caterpillar’s ability to accumulate milkweed toxin to limit predation by birds.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 13 Sep. 2024
By now the fields are overgrown, most ironweed and parsnip have turned black,
even the closed cabinet doors of milkweed pods
have burst open, spilling their shucked silk
into the day.
—Didi Jackson, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024
Ways to Get Rid of Milkweed Aphids FAQ Bright orange milkweed aphids (Aphis nerii) usually emerge toward the end of summer and feed in clusters on the stems and leaves of common milkweed, swamp milkweed, and other milkweed plants.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2024
This is especially a problem on common and swamp milkweeds.
—Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for milkweed
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'milkweed.' 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
circa 1592, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing milkweed
Articles Related to milkweed
Dictionary Entries Near milkweed
Cite this Entry
“Milkweed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milkweed. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
milkweed
noun
milk·weed
ˈmil-ˌkwēd
: any of various herbs with milky juice and flowers usually in dense clusters
Medical Definition
milkweed
noun
milk·weed
ˈmilk-ˌwēd
: any of various plants that secrete latex
especially
: any plant of the genus Asclepias (family Asclepiadaceae, the milkweed family) including several whose dried roots were formerly used medicinally
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