Woad

2 definitions found

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

  Woad \Woad\, n. [OE. wod, AS. w[=a]d; akin to D. weede, G. waid,
     OHG. weit, Dan. vaid, veid, Sw. veide, L. vitrum.] [Written
     also {wad}, and {wade}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Bot.) An herbaceous cruciferous plant ({Isatis
        tinctoria}) of the family {Cruciferae} (syn.


        {Brassicaceae}). It was formerly cultivated for the blue
        coloring matter derived from its leaves. See {isatin}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A blue dyestuff, or coloring matter, consisting of the
        powdered and fermented leaves of the {Isatis tinctoria}.
        It is now superseded by indigo, but is somewhat used with
        indigo as a ferment in dyeing.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Their bodies . . . painted with woad in sundry
              figures.                              --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Wild woad} (Bot.), the weld ({Reseda luteola}). See {Weld}.
        
  
     {Woad mill}, a mill grinding and preparing woad.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  woad
       n 1: a blue dyestuff obtained from the woad plant
       2: any of several herbs of the genus Isatis