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weed out

 - 2 dictionary results

weed

1[weed]
–noun
1. a valueless plant growing wild, esp. one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop.
2. any undesirable or troublesome plant, esp. one that grows profusely where it is not wanted: The vacant lot was covered with weeds.
3. Informal. a cigarette or cigar.
4. Slang. a marijuana cigarette.
5. a thin, ungainly person or animal.
6. a wretched or useless animal, esp. a horse unfit for racing or breeding purposes.
7. the weed,
a. Informal. tobacco.
b. Slang. marijuana.
–verb (used with object)
8. to free from weeds or troublesome plants; root out weeds from: to weed a garden.
9. to root out or remove (a weed or weeds), as from a garden (often fol. by out): to weed out crab grass from a lawn.
10. to remove as being undesirable, inefficient, or superfluous (often fol. by out): to weed out inexperienced players.
11. to rid (something) of undesirable or superfluous elements.
–verb (used without object)
12. to remove weeds or the like.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME wede, OE wēod; c. OS wiod weed, MD wiet fern


weedless, adjective
weedlike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Idioms & Phrases

weed out

Eliminate as inferior, unsuited, or unwanted, as in She was asked to weed out the unqualified applicants. This expression transfers removing weeds from a garden to removing unwanted elements from other enterprises. [First half of 1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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