weeding

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The activity of pulling out or removing unwanted plants from a garden or field.

   Grammar: Uncountable; no plural. Use 'the weeding' to refer to a specific instance.

   Patterns

   • do the weeding
   • weeding the garden
   • weeding and planting

   We spent the morning weeding the vegetable patch.

   Weeding is easier after it rains because the roots come out more easily.

   She finds weeding relaxing and does it every weekend.

2. 2noununcountablefigurative

   The removal of unwanted things or people from a group or place.

   Grammar: Often used figuratively, especially in business or politics.

   Patterns

   • weeding out
   • a weeding process

   The company's weeding of weak products helped it survive.

   The weeding of corrupt officials was slow but necessary.

Common combinations

do the weeding

I need to do the weeding before the guests arrive.

weeding and hoeing

Weeding and hoeing are the main tasks in the garden this month.

weeding out

The weeding out of poor performers took several months.

a weeding tool

A hoe is a useful weeding tool.

Synonyms and how they differ

gardening

A broader term for all garden work, not just removing weeds.

cultivating

Often includes loosening soil and weeding; more formal.

Word family

weed noun

An unwanted plant.

weed verb

To remove unwanted plants.

weedy adjective

Full of weeds; also means thin and weak (informal).

Commonly confused: weeding or wedding?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “weeding”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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