any of several perennial aquatic plants of the genus Polygonum
Also called: water pepper
smartweed in American English
(ˈsmɑrtˌwid)
noun
any of various knotgrasses (genus Polygonum) whose acrid juice may cause skin irritation
smartweed in American English
(ˈsmɑːrtˌwid)
noun
any of several weeds of the genus Polygonum, having a smarting, acrid juice
Word origin
[1780–90; smart + weed1]This word is first recorded in the period 1780–90. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: carbon, carton, dynamics, oxygen, vampire bat
Examples of 'smartweed' in a sentence
smartweed
Young mosquito fish wriggle, tadpole-like, amid lily pads and stems of smartweed.