chickweed

chickweed means any of several small-leaved herbs of the genera Cerastium and Stellaria.; especially common chickweed (Stellaria media), a common, edible weed in North America and Europe.

Etymology

From Middle English chykwed, chykewode, chike wed, chikewed, chekwede, a variant of chykynwede, chekyn-wede, cheken-wede (literally “chicken-weed”), equivalent to chick + weed. Etymonline claims the name was apparently applied to many plants fit for chicken feed, which were called in Old English cicene mete (“chicken food”).

noun

Any of several small-leaved herbs of the genera Cerastium and Stellaria.; especially common chickweed (Stellaria media), a common, edible weed in North America and Europe.“I look at the little sprigs of chickweed trembling among the bean shoots and I am strangely moved. Such steadfastness! Such yearning! They want to live too. That is all they ask: to have their little moment in the world.”
Any of several small-leaved herbs of the genera Cerastium and Stellaria.; Stellaria pro parte
Any of several small-leaved herbs of the genera Cerastium and Stellaria.; Cerastium (mouse-ear chickweed)
Other plants of similar appearance and habit, including those of species:; Ageratum conyzoides
Other plants of similar appearance and habit, including those of species:; Holosteum (jagged chickweed)
Other plants of similar appearance and habit, including those of species:; Moenchia (upright chickweed)
Other plants of similar appearance and habit, including those of species:; Paronychia spp. (nailwort, whitlow-wort)