# duckweed

Pronunciation: say "DUK-weed" /ˈdʌkˌwid/

## Noun

1. Any of several small, simplified floating water plants of the subfamily Lemnoideae, in the arum family Araceae.
   - Simple: A tiny green plant that floats in groups on top of ponds and other still water.
   - _By late summer, duckweed had blanketed the still water behind the old dam._
   - _Some farmers harvest duckweed as a protein-rich feed for their livestock._

## Origin

A compound of "duck" and "weed," supposedly named because ducks and other waterfowl often eat it. Compare Middle English "dokemete," literally "duck-food."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/duckweed (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).