milkweed

milk·weed | \ ˈmilk-ˌwēd

Definition of milkweed

: any of various plants that secrete latex especially : any of a genus (Asclepias of the family Asclepiadaceae, the milkweed family) of erect chiefly perennial herbs with milky juice and umbellate flowers

Examples of milkweed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Heard Museum also is selling milkweed beginning today. — Jon Arnold, Dallas News, "Hikers in McKinney can hit the trails day or night this weekend," 25 June 2020 With all the interest in monarch butterflies, many gardeners are planting milkweed. — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, "Calvin Finch: The insect pests invading San Antonio gardens and how to stop them," 2 Apr. 2020 Strips of perennial hay grass (for his cattle) and native prairie species like milkweed meander across the slopes—year-round flora that pump carbon into the soil. — Brian Barth, Popular Science, "The secret to curbing farm emissions is buried in the Stone Age," 1 Apr. 2020 The monarchs have arrived and are seeking milkweed to lay eggs on in addition to nectar for nutrition. — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, "Calvin Finch: It’s time to get your tomato garden planted in San Antonio," 19 Mar. 2020 But since then, some scientific cracks have emerged in the milkweed case. — Gabriel Popkin, Scientific American, "What Is Really Killing Monarch Butterflies?," 1 Mar. 2020 Pelton said people can help by planting early-blooming flowers and milkweed to fuel migrating monarchs on their paths to other states. — Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, "Monarch butterfly population at critically low levels in California," 24 Jan. 2020 Purple passionflower and milkweed are among the plants incorporated specifically to attract butterflies and serve as a comfortable breeding ground. — Georgann Yara, azcentral, "A butterfly garden and cake studio are part of teachers’ downsized dream home in Gilbert. Take a look," 23 Jan. 2020 Southern California Plant Attract pollinators by planting coreopsis, milkweed, sunflowers, and Cleveland sage. — Heather Arndt Anderson, Sunset Magazine, "Your Ultimate Spring Gardening To-Do List for March and April," 16 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'milkweed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

7 Jul 2020

Cite this Entry

“Milkweed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milkweed. Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.

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More Definitions for milkweed

milkweed

noun

English Language Learners Definition of milkweed

: a type of North American plant that has white juice

See the full definition for milkweed in the English Language Learners Dictionary

milkweed

noun

milk·weed | \ ˈmilk-ˌwēd

Kids Definition of milkweed

: a plant with milky juice and clusters of flowers

milkweed

noun

milk·weed | \ ˈmilk-ˌwēd

Medical Definition of milkweed

: 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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