Dyeweed

/ˈdaɪwiːd/ noun

Definition

Any plant used as a source of natural dye, particularly herbaceous plants from which color pigments can be extracted.

Etymology

From dye plus weed (a plant, often wild or cultivated specifically), a straightforward compound referring to plants historically cultivated or gathered for dye production. This term has roots in medieval herbal traditions.

Kelly Says

Woad was probably the most famous dyeweed—it produced blue dye and was so valuable that medieval European farmers grew it as a cash crop, and conflicts actually erupted over dyeweed trade routes.

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