milkweed

play

noun 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

See milkweed defined for English-language learners

See milkweed defined for kids

Recent Examples of milkweed from the Web

Near the vegetable garden is a pollinator garden with native plants such as butterflyweed, milkweed, coneflower and lobelia, all of which attract bees that will then pollinate the flowers on the vegetables.

— sheryl devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Master class: Volunteer gardeners teach skills, fill food pantries," 25 Aug. 2017
This includes classics like quaking aspen, yarrow, big sagebrush, columbine and milkweed.

— anna webb, idahostatesman, "Milkweed, cacti, foul-smelling voodoo lilies: Visit a small — but intense — Boise garden," 23 June 2017
The orange and black bugs were likely swamp milkweed beetles.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "How to kill aphids on a milkweed plant: Dan Gill's mailbag," 17 June 2017
In the summertime, the park is a fantastic location to observe milkweed butterflies.

— Smithsonian, "Learn more about Ecotourism in Taiwan.," 6 June 2017
Acorn production booms in savannas, and milkweeds, which attract butterflies, thrive there, scientists said.

— patrick m. o'connell, chicagotribune.com, "Restoration of Illinois' oak savannas tries to reach new heights," 30 May 2017
Emilie Snell-Rood, an associate professor in ecology, evolution and behavior at the University of Minnesota, says that some milkweed in particular had up to 30 times more sodium either absorbed inside or stuck to the outside of the plants.

— joshua rapp learn, Smithsonian, "The Hidden Dangers of Road Salt," 26 May 2017
The milkweed survived Portland’s worst winter in a century.

— andrew theen, The Seattle Times, "Oregon garden project aims to attract monarch butterflies," 25 May 2017
Monarch butterflies lay their eggs exclusively on the perennial, and their numbers have been in steep decline for 20 years as milkweed has vanished from the sides of roads, rivers and gardens.

— andrew theen, The Seattle Times, "Oregon garden project aims to attract monarch butterflies," 25 May 2017

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.

Illustration of milkweed

First Known Use of milkweed

circa 1592

MILKWEED Defined for English Language Learners

milkweed

play

noun

Definition of milkweed for English Language Learners

: a type of North American plant that has white juice

MILKWEED Defined for Kids

milkweed

play

noun milk·weed \ ˈmilk-ˌwēd \

Definition of milkweed for Students

:a plant with milky juice and clusters of flowers

Medical Dictionary

milkweed

play

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

Learn More about milkweed

See words that rhyme with milkweed Spanish Central: Translation of milkweed Nglish: Translation of milkweed for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up milkweed? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

milkweed

Definition of milkweed

Recent Examples of milkweed from the Web

Illustration of milkweed

First Known Use of milkweed

MILKWEED Defined for English Language Learners

milkweed

Definition of milkweed for English Language Learners

MILKWEED Defined for Kids

milkweed

Definition of milkweed for Students

Medical Dictionary

milkweed

medical Definition of milkweed

Learn More about milkweed

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

legerity

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

Name That Thing

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

milkweed

Definition of milkweed

People Are Reading

Recent Examples of milkweed from the Web

Illustration of milkweed

First Known Use of milkweed

MILKWEED Defined for English Language Learners

milkweed

Definition of milkweed for English Language Learners

MILKWEED Defined for Kids

milkweed

Definition of milkweed for Students

Medical Dictionary

milkweed

medical Definition of milkweed

Learn More about milkweed

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066