Standard Lemma guide

milkweed

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: M IH1 L K W IY2 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of several plants that have a milky sap and have pods that split to release seeds with silky tufts.

Principally of the genus Asclepias in order Gentianales, family Apocynaceae

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any of several plants that have a milky sap and have pods that split to release seeds with silky tufts.

Also of the genus Calotropis in order Gentianales, family Apocynaceae

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any of several plants that have a milky sap and have pods that split to release seeds with silky tufts.

Euphorbia peplus and Euphorbia heterophylla, in order Malpighiales.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A monarch butterfly (Danaus spp).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

annual Eurasian sow thistle with soft spiny leaves and rayed yellow flower heads

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Sonchus oleraceus

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sow thistle, milk thistle

6

noun

Meaning 6

any of numerous plants of the genus Asclepias having milky juice and pods that split open releasing seeds with downy tufts

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: silkweed

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: herb, herbaceous plant

Narrower terms: white milkweed, Asclepias albicans, blood flower, swallowwort, Asclepias curassavica, poke milkweed, Asclepias exaltata, swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, Mead's milkweed, Asclepias meadii, Asclepia meadii, purple silkweed, Asclepias purpurascens, showy milkweed, Asclepias speciosa, poison milkweed, horsetail milkweed, Asclepias subverticillata, butterfly weed, orange milkweed, chigger flower, chiggerflower, pleurisy root, tuber root, Indian paintbrush, Asclepias tuberosa, whorled milkweed, Asclepias verticillata

History

Etymology

From milk + weed.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: silkkiyrtti — plant of the genus Asclepias
  • German: Seidenpflanze — plant of the genus Asclepias
  • Greek: ασκληπιάδα (asklipiáda) — plant of the genus Asclepias
  • Greek: ζιζάνιο πεταλούδας (zizánio petaloúdas) — plant of the genus Asclepias
  • Italian: asclepiade — plant of the genus Asclepias
  • Polish: trojeść — plant of the genus Asclepias
  • Kashaya: šiʔdo qhale — plant of the genus Asclepias
  • Arabic: عُشَر (ʕušar) — plant of the genus Calotropis
  • Finnish: madari — plant of the genus Calotropis
  • German: Kielkrone — plant of the genus Calotropis
  • Finnish: kolmisädetyräkki — plant Euphorbia peplus
Real reading context

milkweed in complete knowledge articles