chickweed
chickweed Lexical Profile
chickweed Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of various low-growing, sprawling annual or perennial herbs of the pink family (Caryophyllaceae), especially common chickweed (Stellaria media) and mouse-ear chickweed (genus Cerastium), bearing tiny, star-shaped white flowers with deeply notched petals.
"The shaded corner of the garden was quickly carpeted in lush green chickweed dotted with tiny white blossoms."
The tender, edible foliage and stems of common chickweed (Stellaria media), widely foraged as a mild wild salad green, used as poultry feed, or applied in traditional herbal medicine.
"She tossed a handful of freshly washed chickweed into the spring salad for a mild, crisp texture."
• Rhymes for chickweed
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in late Middle English as a compound of "chick" and "weed," so named because the tender leaves and seeds of the plant are eagerly eaten by young poultry and wild songbirds.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.