tumbleweed

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English[edit]

a tumbleweed, Salsola sp.

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From tumble +‎ weed.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

tumbleweed (countable and uncountable, plural tumbleweeds)

  1. Any plant which habitually breaks away from its roots once dry, forming a light, rolling mass which is driven by the wind from place to place; as Russian thistle, wild indigo, witch grass, Amaranthus albus, etc.
    Synonym: (Australia) roly-poly
  2. (attributive) Describing unwanted silence and inactivity. Often used of a situation when one makes a statement that is ignored or ill-received by one's audience, as the resultant silence is likened to that of a desolate desert with rolling tumbleweeds.
    • 2000 January 21, Plsntgrn, “Re: SOAR Budget (A Long Guestimate)”, in alt.music.progressive‎[1]:
      Putting an ad in the local paper that Spock's Beard and Arena are in town will get you a tumbleweed response and some wasted revenue.
    • 2005, Trevor Wright, How to Be a Brilliant English Teacher‎[2], →ISBN, page 68:
      “Why do families argue?” may only induce the tumbleweed response. (Could you answer that question out of the blue?)
  3. A tan colour, like that of a tumbleweed.
    tumbleweed:  

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