Ragweed is a plant, found mainly in North America, that produces large amounts of pollen, which causes hay fever.
...an allergic reaction to a particular type of ragweed.
ragweed in British English
(ˈræɡˌwiːd)
noun
any plant of the chiefly North American genus Ambrosia, such as A. artemisiifolia (common ragweed): family Asteraceae (composites). Their green tassel-like flowers produce large amounts of pollen, which causes hay fever
Also called: ambrosia
ragweed in American English
(ˈrægˌwid)
noun
US
any of a genus (Ambrosia) of chiefly North American plants of the composite family, having tassel-like, greenishflowers which yield large amounts of wind-borne pollen, a major cause of hay fever
Word origin
from the tattered appearance of the leaves
Examples of 'ragweed' in a sentence
ragweed
I looked away, but the people on the street were walking so close to our table they could see the ragweed in my entree.