C19: so called because the pods contain a silklike down
silkweed in American English
(ˈsɪlkˌwid)
US
noun
milkweed (sense 1)
silkweed in American English
(ˈsɪlkˌwid)
noun
any milkweed, the pods of which contain a silky down
Word origin
[1775–85, Amer.;silk + weed1]This word is first recorded in the period 1775–85. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: backfire, flashing, guideline, parachute, waltz