What does weedhead mean?
Weedhead is an informal noun with two quite different established uses. Its dominant social meaning is a person who habitually uses marijuana, usually with a dismissive or mildly derogatory tone; in this sense it is close to pothead or dopehead. It can also be a botanical common name for Egeria densa, an invasive submerged aquatic plant that forms dense underwater growth. The slang usage is especially associated with North American English, though the word occurs in English more broadly, while the plant name belongs to specialist and nature-oriented vocabulary. In ordinary prose, the cannabis meaning is far more likely to be encountered and can carry negative social judgment, so neutral wording such as cannabis user or marijuana user is usually preferable in formal contexts. Weedhead is useful to lexicographers because its compact compound structure encodes both senses: weed can refer to cannabis or to an unwanted plant, while head evokes a habitual enthusiast.
nounAn informal, usually derogatory term for a person who habitually uses marijuana. In botanical contexts, it is also a common name for an aquatic weed, especially the invasive submerged plant Egeria densa.
- Informal and usually derogatory: a person who habitually uses marijuana.
- Botanical: a common name for an aquatic weed, especially the invasive submerged plant Egeria densa.
"His older brother was a weedhead who never missed a weekend with friends."
"His older brother was a weedhead who never missed a weekend with friends."
"The pond was choked with weedhead, a submerged aquatic plant that spread rapidly."
The standard plural is weedheads.
"Several weedheads were interviewed during the documentary."
Weedhead has a double life: it can name a habitual cannabis user or an invasive aquatic plant, Egeria densa.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of weedhead
Weedhead is an English compound of weed and head. Its first element continues Old English wēoð, meaning a plant or herb, while the compound’s head element follows informal patterns such as pothead, with head denoting a habitual user or devotee. The same compound also serves as a botanical common name for Egeria densa.
Related word forms
How weedhead is actually used
The cannabis sense is informal and often mildly dismissive or derogatory, although it can be used neutrally when referring to someone’s habits. The botanical sense is more specialized and normally refers to Egeria densa.