noun

woad

WOHD

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Woad (noun) means Woad is a plant, Isatis tinctoria, traditionally grown for the blue dye taken from its leaves. Example: “Woad was once grown in fields across parts of England.”

noun

Woad is a plant, Isatis tinctoria, traditionally grown for the blue dye taken from its leaves.

"Woad was once grown in fields across parts of England."

"The farmer planted a row of woad along the edge of the garden."

"Woad has small yellow flowers and long green leaves."

Woad is also the deep blue dye produced by fermenting and drying the leaves of this plant.

"The cloth had been dyed a rich shade of blue with woad."

"Before indigo became common, woad was the main source of blue dye in Europe."

"She mixed the woad in a vat until the wool turned blue."

How to use woad

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishWoad is a plant grown for its blue dye, and the name also means the dye itself.

When to use it

Woad is mostly used today in historical, craft or gardening contexts rather than everyday speech.

Memory tip

Remember that woad can mean either the plant itself or the blue dye made from it, so check the context.

Trace the full origin ↓

Common pairings

dyed with woad a field of woad blue as woad woad dye

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

_____ was once grown in fields across parts of England.

Etymology

Woad comes from the Old English word wād, which itself goes back through early Germanic forms to a much older root. Related words for the same plant or dye appear in Old Frisian, Dutch and German, and separately in French and Italian, which borrowed their terms from a Germanic source. The modern English word 'weed' is a distant relative.

Origin: Old English

Synonyms

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indigo indigotin

Related words

blue violet indigo indigotin anil

Rhymes for woad

road toad load goad broad abroad upload unload reload offload payload busload

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Frequently asked questions

What is woad?

Woad is a plant that was traditionally used to produce a blue dye, and the name also refers to the dye itself.

What colour does woad dye produce?

It produces a deep blue, similar to the colour later associated with indigo.

Is woad the same as indigo?

They are different plants, but woad and indigo were both used historically to make blue dye, and woad is sometimes described using the word indigo.

What is the meaning of woad?

"woad" (noun) means woad is a plant, Isatis tinctoria, traditionally grown for the blue dye taken from its leaves.

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blue violet indigo indigotin anil