Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of numerous often hairy plants of the genus Hieracium of the composite family, having yellow or orange dandelionlike flower heads.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A plant of the genus Hieracium, natural order Compositæ, suborder Ligulifloræ (Cichoriaceæ), or lettuce family, a very large genus, especially numerous on the continent of Europe.
  • noun A species of Senecio, S. hieracifolius. See Senecio.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A plant of the genus Hieracium; -- so called from the ancient belief that birds of prey used its juice to strengthen their vision.
  • noun A plant of the genus Senecio (Senecio hieracifolius).

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any species of plant of the genus Hieracium and its segregate genus Pilosella, in the sunflower family (Asteraceae).

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun any of various plants of the genus Pilosella
  • noun any of numerous often hairy plants of the genus Hieracium having yellow or orange flowers that resemble the dandelion

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

hawk +‎ weed

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Examples

  • Tall grassland is scattered with hawkweed, ragwort, wild carrot and melilot flowers, along with clumps of bird's-foot trefoil, lucerne and goat's rue, and there are regular uprisings of brambles and wild rose, and sprawls of sallow and birch scrub.

    Country Diary: Canvey Wick, Essex 2011

  • And whole hells of buttercups and yellow hawkweed and a few more orange hawkweed.

    jhetley: Wednesday roadkill report jhetley 2010

  • Also some UFOs and lotsa hawkweed, yellow and orange, and buttercups and daisies.

    jhetley: Tuesday floral report jhetley 2010

  • New flower OTD, orange hawkweed joining the yellow.

    jhetley: Monday floral report jhetley 2010

  • Nothing particular new in the flora report, just lots of hawkweed and buttercups and such.

    jhetley: Tuesday roadkill report jhetley 2010

  • Buttercups and yellow hawkweed and lupines in full cry.

    jhetley: Sunday floral report jhetley 2010

  • First wild roses, first bladder campion, the later variety of yellow hawkweed now showing.

    jhetley: Friday roadkill report jhetley 2010

  • More buttercups in the fields and ditches, with what I am calling bicycle botany again yellow hawkweed adding to the mix.

    I have a cunning plan jhetley 2009

  • Orange hawkweed now blooming, and birdsfoot clover adding to the roadside yellow brigade.

    Foggy jhetley 2009

  • First day-lilies blooming, both domestic and feral, and a different species of yellow hawkweed.

    Food is the new cocaine? jhetley 2009

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