Where does “rabbitweed” come from?

rabbitweed (English) comes from English rabbit, from Middle English rabet, from Middle French rabotte, from Dutch robbe, from English robert, from Anglo-Norman Robert.

rabbitweed (English): The plant Gutierrezia sarothrae

Definitions

  1. The plant Gutierrezia sarothrae

Ancestry of “rabbitweed”, step by step

rabbitweed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English rabbit

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrabbitA mammal of the family Leporidae, with long ears,...
2Middle Englishrabet—
3Middle Frenchrabotte—
4Dutchrobbe—
5Englishrobert—
6Anglo-NormanRobert—

via English weed

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishweedAny plant regarded as unwanted at the place...
2Middle Englishweed—
3Old Englishwēodweed
4Proto-West Germanic*weudweed (unwanted plant)
Every word from Anglo-Norman Robert →