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# milkweed

noun (milkweed, milkweeds)

«milkweed» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Milkweed is a North American plant with a milky white sap, pinkish flower clusters and pods full of fluffy seeds. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/milkweed/#m1)
2. Milkweed is the only food monarch butterfly caterpillars eat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/milkweed/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science lessons about life cycles and food chains, monarch butterflies lay eggs on milkweed; the caterpillars eat its leaves and the plant's poison makes them taste bad to birds. Schools in the USA and Canada plant milkweed gardens to help monarchs. Phrases: «milkweed pods», «plant milkweed».

### Examples

- Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/milkweed/#x1)
- We planted milkweed in the school garden to help butterflies. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/milkweed/#x2)
- The milkweed pod burst and fluffy seeds floated away. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/milkweed/#x3)
- Milkweed sap is white and sticky like milk. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/milkweed/#x4)
- The poison in milkweed protects monarchs from birds. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/milkweed/#x5)
- We found a monarch egg on a milkweed leaf. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/milkweed/#x6)

### Note

One word. Mostly North American; in the UK «milkweed» may also mean other plants with milky sap. The sap can irritate the eyes, so wash your hands after touching it.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «milkweed» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/milkweed/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«milkweed» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/milkweed.html) on Mova free.