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

Illustration of milkweed

Examples of milkweed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This milkweed, along with butterfly weed A. tuberosa, can be deadheaded to promote rebloom. —Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2025

The group planted 400 plants, including desert milkweed, Arizona milkweed, Gregg's mistflower, globe mallow and many more flowering species. —Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 17 July 2025

In a few days, that egg will hatch a caterpillar barely a few millimeters long, which will binge itself on milkweed leaves for another two weeks. —Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025

With their milkweed diet being a core tenet to how monarchs protect themselves from predators, other butterfly species have evolved to resemble monarchs’ coloring as a way to gain protection. —Muqsit Ashraf, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1592, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing milkweed

• milkweed bug
• milkweed butterfly

Rhymes for milkweed

• accede
• agreed
• airspeed
• alkyd
• bindweed
• chickweed
• concede
• decreed
• duckweed
• exceed
• flaxseed
• impede

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