Standard Lemma guide

pokeweed

noun · 2 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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  • General-American: /ˈpoʊkˌwid/
  • CMU ARPABET: P OW1 K W IY2 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A poisonous North American plant, Phytolacca americana, with reddish stems, broad leaves, clusters of white flowers, and dark purple berries.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

perennial of the genus Phytolacca

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: herb, herbaceous plant

Narrower terms: Indian poke, Phytolacca acinosa, poke, pigeon berry, garget, scoke, Phytolacca americana, ombu, bella sombra, Phytolacca dioica

History

Etymology

From poke + weed. The first element is from Powhatan pocan.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: винобой (vinoboj) — Phytolacca americana
  • Catalan: raïm de moro — Phytolacca americana
  • Chinese Mandarin: 美洲商陸 /美洲商陆 (Měizhōu shānglù) — Phytolacca americana
  • Czech: líčidlo americké — Phytolacca americana
  • Danish: kermesbær — Phytolacca americana
  • Finnish: kermesmarja — Phytolacca americana
  • German: Kermesbeere — Phytolacca americana
  • Hungarian: alkörmös — Phytolacca americana
  • Italian: fitolacca — Phytolacca americana
  • Korean: 미국자리공 (migukjarigong) — Phytolacca americana
  • Polish: szkarłatka — Phytolacca americana
  • Russian: лаконо́с (lakonós) — Phytolacca americana
  • Russian: фитола́кка (fitolákka) — Phytolacca americana
  • Swedish: amerikanskt kermesbär — Phytolacca americana
  • Turkish: şekerciboyası — Phytolacca americana
  • Turkish: Amerika üzümü — Phytolacca americana
  • Unami: chàkinkwèm — Phytolacca americana
  • Vietnamese: thương lục Mỹ — Phytolacca americana