A plant with an unpleasant smell that repels insects, or any weedy plant associated with bugs.
Compound of 'bug' (from Middle English bugge, possibly from Welsh bwbach meaning goblin) and 'weed' (from Old English weod). The term emerged in American English to describe plants that either attract or repel insects.
Early American settlers gave plants names based on practical observation—if it kept bugs away or attracted them, that became part of its identity. This kind of folk naming tells us what problems actually bothered people in their daily lives.
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