milkweed
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
Illustration of milkweed
Examples of milkweed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s a key question because milkweeds are the only plant monarch butterfly larvae and caterpillars will eat, the exhibit points out. — Steve Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Talking about the bats and the bees: Pollination is a theme this summer at Chicago Botanic Garden," 23 July 2019 The nonprofit group says that the butterflies rely on milkweed and nectar plants. — USA TODAY, "Smokey Bear, tarantula trek, censoring Adam and Eve: News from around our 50 states," 9 Aug. 2019 The most popular nectar sources are mist flower, zinnias, porter weed, and milkweed. — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, "Purple martins are on the move," 5 July 2019 Also scarce this year are many types of perennial milkweed (Asclepias), especially swamp (A. incarnata) and common (A. syriaca). — Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, Indianapolis Star, "The Hoosier Gardener: Some plants hard to find this spring," 13 June 2019 Iowa Newton: Biofuel plants in the state are adding milkweed and other native plants to their properties so monarch butterflies can fuel up during the annual migration. — USA TODAY, "Robot hostesses, veggie booze, ‘civil death’: News from around our 50 states," 4 July 2019 When rainy season arrives, many grasslands become coated with wildflowers such as yarrow, hyssop, and milkweed. — Christina Nunez, National Geographic, "Grasslands, explained," 22 June 2019 Unfortunately, milkweed is a little more complicated to grow from seed. — Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, Indianapolis Star, "The Hoosier Gardener: Some plants hard to find this spring," 13 June 2019 The researchers focused on the plants monarch caterpillars exclusively eat: milkweeds. — Anna Groves, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "They're beautiful — and in danger. Now, a huge effort focuses on saving monarch butterflies," 13 July 2018These 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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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