kudzu
noun
kud·zu ˈku̇d-(ˌ)zü 
ˈkəd-
ˈkəd- : a fast-growing Asian vine (Pueraria lobata) of the legume family that is used for forage and erosion control and is often a serious weed in the southeastern U.S.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The brilliant-but-troubled detective/cop-with-something-extra procedural has crept over the TV listings like so much kudzu, or, to be more local, bougainvillea — lovely to look at in many places but increasingly familiar in form and hue. 
Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2022 Where kudzu is found in the U.S. and Canada EDDMapS. 2022. Mandi Albright, ajc, 27 Apr. 2022 The brilliant-but-troubled detective/cop-with-something-extra procedural has crept over the TV listings like so much kudzu, or, to be more local, bougainvillea — lovely to look at in many places but increasingly familiar in form and hue. Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2022 Leafy vines resembling Mississippi kudzu drape limestone outcroppings. Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2021 Invaders such as kudzu, stiltgrass and ailanthus are having a party no one seems able to break up. Washington Post, 7 July 2021 The crowds of athletes, performers and audience members in attendance were all greatly diminished due to COVID-19, as Tokyo faces a terrifying surge and the Delta variant spreads kudzu-like around the globe. Judy Berman, Time, 23 July 2021 Imported from Amsterdam, these kudzu roots were laid over the course of several weeks last spring, then left mostly alone. New York Times, 3 May 2021 Immediately following the closing of the artist’s Frankfurt exhibition, the kudzu planted for it was cremated and illegally imported to New York in a trash bin sealed with duct tape. New York Times, 3 May 2021 See More
Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2022 Where kudzu is found in the U.S. and Canada EDDMapS. 2022. Mandi Albright, ajc, 27 Apr. 2022 The brilliant-but-troubled detective/cop-with-something-extra procedural has crept over the TV listings like so much kudzu, or, to be more local, bougainvillea — lovely to look at in many places but increasingly familiar in form and hue. Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2022 Leafy vines resembling Mississippi kudzu drape limestone outcroppings. Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2021 Invaders such as kudzu, stiltgrass and ailanthus are having a party no one seems able to break up. Washington Post, 7 July 2021 The crowds of athletes, performers and audience members in attendance were all greatly diminished due to COVID-19, as Tokyo faces a terrifying surge and the Delta variant spreads kudzu-like around the globe. Judy Berman, Time, 23 July 2021 Imported from Amsterdam, these kudzu roots were laid over the course of several weeks last spring, then left mostly alone. New York Times, 3 May 2021 Immediately following the closing of the artist’s Frankfurt exhibition, the kudzu planted for it was cremated and illegally imported to New York in a trash bin sealed with duct tape. New York Times, 3 May 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Japanese kuzu
First Known Use
1876, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
kudzu
noun
kud·zu ˈku̇d-zü
: a fast-growing Asian vine that is grown for hay and to control erosion and is often a serious weed in the southeastern United States