duckweed

noun

duck·​weed ˈdək-ˌwēd How to pronounce duckweed (audio)
: a small floating aquatic monocotyledonous plant (family Lemnaceae, the duckweed family)

Examples of duckweed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For a hunter, cute is a Lab with a bird in his mouth, coat spackled with duckweed, paws slimed with mud. — Kyle Wintersteen, Field & Stream, 30 Jan. 2023 Aquatic vegetation like eelgrass, hydrilla and duckweed are crucial to the ecology of a spring. — Kathryn Varn, Axios, 2 Aug. 2024 The diet can get costly due to the amount of whole foods and fresh produce (not to mention sourcing and paying for all that duckweed) required to adhere to this nutrition plan, says Piper. — Perri O. Blumberg, Men's Health, 29 Mar. 2023 Sediment and overgrowth of a plant called duckweed, caused by nutrients that come with sediment, are threatening the lake's wildlife and recreational activities, the park's website reads. — Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for duckweed

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of duckweed was in the 15th century

Rhymes for duckweed

See All Rhymes for duckweed

Browse Nearby Words

duckwalk
duckweed
duckweed family
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Duckweed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duckweed. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

duckweed

noun
duck·​weed ˈdək-ˌwēd How to pronounce duckweed (audio)
: a tiny stemless plant that floats without attachment on the surface of a body of still water (as a pond)

More from Merriam-Webster on duckweed

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about duckweed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All