tumbleweed

== English == === Alternative forms === tumble weed === Etymology === From tumble +‎ weed. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtʌmbəlwiːd/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈtʌmbəlˌwid/ Rhymes: -iːd === Noun === tumbleweed (countable and uncountable, plural tumbleweeds) Any plant which habitually breaks away from its roots once dry, forming a light, rolling mass which is driven by the wind from place to place; as Russian thistle, wild indigo, witch grass, Amaranthus albus, etc. Synonyms: (Australia) roly-poly, steppe-witch, wind-witch (attributive) Describing unwanted silence and inactivity. Often used of a situation when one makes a statement that is ignored or ill-received by one's audience, as the resultant silence is likened to that of a desolate desert with rolling tumbleweeds. A tan colour, like that of a tumbleweed. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === tumble thistle === Further reading === tumbleweed on Wikipedia.Wikipedia