Category:Woad

Woad, n. Etym: [oe. wod, as. wad; akin to d. weede, g. waid, ohg. Weit, dan. vaid, veid, sw. veide, l. vitrum.] [written also wad, and Wade.]

1. (bot.)

Defn: an herbaceous cruciferous plant (isatis tinctoria). It was Formerly cultivated for the blue coloring matter derived from its Leaves.

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 It is now superseded by Indigo, but is somewhat used with indigo as a ferment in dyeing. Their bodies. . . painted with woad in sundry figures. Milton. Wild woad (bot.), the weld (reseda luteola). See weld. -- woad mill, a mill grinding and preparing woad.