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rag·weed

(răgwēd′)

1. Any of various weeds of the genus Ambrosia of the composite family, having small, greenish, unisexual flower heads and producing abundant pollen that is one of the chief causes of hay fever.

2. Chiefly British Ragwort.

[From the ragged shape of its leaves.]

(click for a larger image)

ragweed

top: common ragweed

Ambrosia artemisiifolia

bottom:pollen grains of western ragweed

Ambrosia psilostachya

(click for a larger image)

ragweed

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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