woad

2 definitions found

woad - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Woad \Woad\, n. [OE. wod, AS. w[=a]d; akin to D. weede, G. waid,
     OHG. weit, Dan. vaid, veid, Sw. veide, L. vitrum.] [Written
     also wad, and wade.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Bot.) An herbaceous cruciferous plant (Isatis  tinctoria
        ) of the family Cruciferae (syn.
        Brassicaceae). It was formerly cultivated for the blue
        coloring matter derived from its leaves. See isatin.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A blue dyestuff, or coloring matter, consisting of the
        powdered and fermented leaves of the Isatis tinctoria.
        It is now superseded by indigo, but is somewhat used with
        indigo as a ferment in dyeing.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Their bodies . . . painted with woad in sundry
              figures.                              --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Wild woad (Bot.), the weld (Reseda luteola). See Weld.
        
  
     Woad mill, a mill grinding and preparing woad.
        [1913 Webster]

woad - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  woad
      n 1: a blue dyestuff obtained from the woad plant
      2: any of several herbs of the genus Isatis