weeder

[Eng. weed, v.; -er.] 1. One who weeds, or frees from anything noxious, usele , or injurious; an extirpator. "A weeder out of his proud adversaries, A liberal rewarder of his friends." Shakesp.: Richard III., i. 8. 2. A weeding tool. weeder-clips, s . Weeding-shears. ( Scotch .) *weed-er-ỹ, s. [Eng. weed (1), s.; -ery.] 1. Weeds. "A place all covered o'er With clinging nettles and such weedery ." More: Life of Soul , ii. 141. 2. A place full of weeds. weed-1-ne , s. [Eng. weedy ; -ne .] The quality or state of being weedy, or overgrown with weeds. "Weedine in a lawn is commonly the effect of poverty in the soil."- Field, March 17, 1888. weed-ing, pr. par., a., & 8. [WEED, v.] A. & B. As pr . par. & particip. adj.: (See the verb.) C. As substantive: 1. The act of clearing away weeds, or anything noxious or injurious. Weeding by electricity: (See extract.) "In many parts of the south, where swamps and jungles abound, all kinds of vegetation are very rapid in growth, and it has been a matter of great difficulty, as well as of considerable expense, for the railroad companies to keep the roadbeds from being overgrown with wild gra es and noxious weeds of one kind and another. Fire was tried in getting rid of the pest, but it only scorched the tops, leaving the roots still strong and vigorous. Strong brine was poured over the roadbeds. It was more efficacious in killing the vegetation, but its use was very expensive and it corroded the rails. A jet of steam was turned on the vegetation, but it had little effect, and gasoline burners were suspended from the locomotives pa ing over the weeds, but they failed to destroy the weeds. At last it occurred to A. A. Sharp, division superintendent of the Illinois Central Railroad at Memphis, Tenn., to try if this obnoxious growth might not be destroyed by electrocution, and he devised and patented a contrivance for the purpose. To an ordinary flatcar he attached a machine in the form of a circular brush suspended at right angles to the track and of sufficient length to extend over the ends of the ties. It was studded thickly with fine copper wire, which came into contact with the weeds and gra es on the track as the car pa ed over the road, the brush being so constructed that it could be raised or lowered at will. This brush was attached to an electric generator by fine wire, through which a strong current of electricity pa ed to the brush and from it to the weeds through which it was driven. Its touch killed the weeds, root and branch. The machine, after thorough trial, has been pronounced a great weeding succe and is likely to come into general use in that part of the country."- Railway Age . *2. Weeds. "He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding." Shakesp.: Love's Labor's Lost, i. 1.