: any of a genus (Cuscuta) of wiry twining vines of the morning-glory family that are highly deficient in chlorophyll, are parasitic on other plants, and have tiny scales instead of leaves
doddered; doddering
ˈdä-d(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to tremble or shake from weakness or age
2
: to progress feebly and unsteadily
was doddering down the walk
Synonyms
Examples of dodder in a Sentence
Verb
was doddering down the walk outside the nursing home
Recent Examples on the Web
Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2018
In early September 2021, the NHU is filming a predator just as vicious—the dodder—using technology that didn’t exist back in 2018.
—Stephen Armstrong, Wired, 2 Dec. 2021
The dodder, Cuscuta europaea, a k a strangleweed or the devil’s hair, is a parasitic plant.
—Stephen Armstrong, Wired, 2 Dec. 2021
The one weed seed the feds found was dodder, a parasitic plant that climbs up unsuspecting regular plants and sucks the life out of them.
—Paul Eisenberg, chicagotribune.com, 18 July 2021
Conseulo De Moraes of Penn State University planted a young dodder near a tomato plant and continuously filmed the pair for several days.
—Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2021
Botanists had wondered about the dodder’s strategy for timing reproduction.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2020
Once the dodder has a tight grip on its host, the anchoring root withers away.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2020
Without the host’s flowering signal, neither the host nor the dodder flowered.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2020
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 21 July 2024
Jim Westwood, co-author and professor at Virginia Tech examines dodder.
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2018
Tel Aviv University biologist Daniel Chamovitz discusses dodder and many other fascinating plants in his upcoming book, What A Plant Knows, an excerpt from which appears in the May issue of Scientific American.
—Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2021
The Dodgers appeared to dodder in the first two games, running up huge pitch counts against Atlanta starters Max Fried and Ian Anderson, but failing to score a run in 14 of the first 15 innings.
—Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2020
Last, the researchers created a green fluorescent version of the flowering signal chemical, which provided visual evidence that dodder plant tissues can absorb the chemical and direct it to their flowering mechanisms.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2020
As for pests, experts have identified a tiny wasp, two noxious weeds (water spinach and dodder) and a larval seed beetle.
—Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2020
The pale, curvy pillars of Phil Charlwood’s set variously represent forest trees; the cottage of the wise, doddering Sami Finn Woman (an amusing Anna Lynch); and, helped by frosty lighting designed by Doug Del Pizzo, the Snow Queen’s castle.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2019
Cassidy took control when the Bruins were doddering along at 26-23-6, both feet firmly planted on a path to a third consecutive DNQ.
—BostonGlobe.com, 23 Nov. 2019
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Noun
In North America, Cuscuta campestris (sometimes called the field dodder or golden dodder) is particularly fond of alfalfa.
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2018
In early September 2021, the NHU is filming a predator just as vicious—the dodder—using technology that didn’t exist back in 2018.
—Stephen Armstrong, Wired, 2 Dec. 2021
The dodder, Cuscuta europaea, a k a strangleweed or the devil’s hair, is a parasitic plant.
—Stephen Armstrong, Wired, 2 Dec. 2021
The one weed seed the feds found was dodder, a parasitic plant that climbs up unsuspecting regular plants and sucks the life out of them.
—Paul Eisenberg, chicagotribune.com, 18 July 2021
Conseulo De Moraes of Penn State University planted a young dodder near a tomato plant and continuously filmed the pair for several days.
—Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2021
Botanists had wondered about the dodder’s strategy for timing reproduction.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2020
Once the dodder has a tight grip on its host, the anchoring root withers away.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2020
Without the host’s flowering signal, neither the host nor the dodder flowered.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2020
Verb
Probably quite poorly, conjuring images of Trump doddering around on a golf course.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 21 July 2024
Jim Westwood, co-author and professor at Virginia Tech examines dodder.
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2018
Tel Aviv University biologist Daniel Chamovitz discusses dodder and many other fascinating plants in his upcoming book, What A Plant Knows, an excerpt from which appears in the May issue of Scientific American.
—Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2021
The Dodgers appeared to dodder in the first two games, running up huge pitch counts against Atlanta starters Max Fried and Ian Anderson, but failing to score a run in 14 of the first 15 innings.
—Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2020
Last, the researchers created a green fluorescent version of the flowering signal chemical, which provided visual evidence that dodder plant tissues can absorb the chemical and direct it to their flowering mechanisms.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2020
As for pests, experts have identified a tiny wasp, two noxious weeds (water spinach and dodder) and a larval seed beetle.
—Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2020
The pale, curvy pillars of Phil Charlwood’s set variously represent forest trees; the cottage of the wise, doddering Sami Finn Woman (an amusing Anna Lynch); and, helped by frosty lighting designed by Doug Del Pizzo, the Snow Queen’s castle.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2019
Cassidy took control when the Bruins were doddering along at 26-23-6, both feet firmly planted on a path to a third consecutive DNQ.
—BostonGlobe.com, 23 Nov. 2019
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Cite this Entry
“Dodder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dodder. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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