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 might seem precarious, but milkweed has its own defenses. —Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 28 May 2026

Between the Pollinator Garden and Butterfly Garden are dense stands of milkweed for the monarch butterflies. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026

Plant monarch-benefiting native milkweed and trade seeds for other plants with fellow visitors. —Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

Female monarchs lay eggs on milkweed plants, considered a monarch's host plant. —Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 22 Apr. 2026

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