# chickweed

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Any of several small-leaved herbs of the genera Cerastium and Stellaria.
2. Any of several small-leaved herbs of the genera Cerastium and Stellaria.
3. Any of several small-leaved herbs of the genera Cerastium and Stellaria.
4. Other plants of similar appearance and habit, including those of species:
5. Other plants of similar appearance and habit, including those of species:
6. Other plants of similar appearance and habit, including those of species:
7. Other plants of similar appearance and habit, including those of species:

## Etymology
From Middle English chykwed, chykewode, chike wed, chikewed, chekwede, a variant of chykynwede, chekyn-wede, cheken-wede (literally “chicken-weed”), equivalent to chick + weed.
Etymonline claims the name was apparently applied to many plants fit for chicken feed, which were called in Old English cicene mete (“chicken food”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/chickweed