Tumbleweed Definition

Any of a number of plants, as the pigweed or Russian thistle, that break off near the ground in autumn and are blown about by the wind.

Describing unwanted silence and inactivity. Often used of a situation when one makes a statement that is ignored or ill-received from one's audience. Gives the impression that a tumbleweed has passed through the room, as the resultant silence is likened to that of a desolate desert.