Cudweed

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Cudweed \Cud"weed`\ (k?d"w?d`), n. [Apparently fr. cud + weed,
     but perh. a corruption of cottonweed; or of cut weed, so
     called from its use as an application to cuts and chafings.]
     (Bot.)
     A small composite plant with cottony or silky stem and
     leaves, primarily a species of {Gnaphalium}, but the name is


     now given to many plants of different genera, as {Filago},
     {Antennaria}, etc.; cottonweed.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  cudweed
       n 1: any of numerous plants of the genus Gnaphalium having
            flowers that can be dried without loss of form or color
       2: any plant of the genus Filago having capitate clusters of
          small woolly flower heads [syn: {cotton rose}, {filago}]
       3: perennial cottony-white herb of southwestern United States
          [syn: {western mugwort}, {white sage}, {prairie sage}, {Artemisia
          ludoviciana}, {Artemisia gnaphalodes}]