chickweed

noun

chick·​weed ˈchik-ˌwēd 

: any of various low-growing small-leaved weedy plants of the pink family (especially genera Cerastium and Stellaria)

especially : a cosmopolitan weed (Stellaria media) naturalized in the U.S. from Eurasia

Illustration of chickweed

Examples of chickweed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Keeping your lawn healthy and dense is the best natural defense against chickweed. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 May 2025

One sip of the Meet Cute—gin, orange wine, chickweed, lemon, and honey—took me straight to the height of summer. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025

Careful inspection for chickweed and early removal is important as plants produce hundreds of seeds. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2025

There are weeds like nutsedge (Cyperus spp.) and West Indian chickweed (Drymaria cordata) that reproduce and spread quickly, competing with turfgrasses for nutrients, water, and sunlight. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing chickweed

• mouse-ear chickweed

Rhymes for chickweed

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

Kids Definition

chickweed

noun

chick·​weed ˈchik-ˌwēd 

: any of several low-growing small-leaved weedy plants related to the pinks