nitweed

9.9

A small yearly weed with thin wiry stems, tiny flat leaves, and small yellow flowers

noun

: hierba nitweed

The small yellow flowers of nitweed make it easy to identify among native grasses.

Examples

Gardeners struggle to control nitweed because it grows quickly in poor soil.
The field was overrun with nitweed after a particularly wet spring.
The nitweed grows abundantly in the summer.
Look at that nitweed!
Gardeners struggle to control nitweed because it grows quickly in poor soil.
The field was overrun with nitweed after a particularly wet spring.
The small yellow flowers of nitweed make it easy to identify among native grasses.

Synonyms

pine-weed

vsnitweed

9.9

A small plant that lives for one year, with thin stems, tiny flat leaves, and small yellow flowers

is the same species but referred to by a different name form

Hypericum gentianoides

vsnitweed

Specialized

9.9

A small yearly North American plant with thin stems, tiny flat leaves, and yellow flowers

is the common English naming rather than the formal Latin label

orange grass

vsnitweed

9.9

A small North American weed with thin stems, tiny leaves, and yellow flowers

is the same plant presented with a different descriptive name

Surface Forms

nitweed singular

nitweeds plural

Morphology

nitweed = nit + weed (semi-transparent) = nit + weed

Both components are recognizable English words, but the specific botanical referent is an arbitrary common-name formation and not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

The word nitweed likely links nit ('a very small thing' or 'a tiny egg') and weed. So, the name helps you remember a very small, quick-growing plant with thin stems and tiny leaves.