Matchweeds

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collective term for several species of flowering plants bearing small, daisy-like blooms; a type of herbaceous plant typically found in temperate regions; a group of weeds characterized by their clustered, brightly colored flowers
2. Plants identified by their small, composite flowers resembling daisies; various herbaceous plants often considered weeds in gardens; a botanical grouping of weedy species with showy floral heads
3. Certain flowering plants with compact flower clusters similar to daisies; herbaceous types commonly found as unwanted plants in gardens; a name used for a category of weedy plants with noticeable blossoms

Etymology: "Matchweed" is a plural-capable noun, so "matchweeds" is simply its plural, and the word is a plain compound: "match" joined to "weed." The first element is the one that needs explaining. Here "match" is not the common word for a lit stick or a contest; it is the sense of a thing that matches or resembles another, so the plant's name suggests a weed that looks like something else. The "weed" element carries its usual sense of an unwanted or wild plant, though the group is named for its bright, clustered flowers rather than any aggressive growth.