cockle-bur

Thân thiện

A child carefully picks a prickly cockle-bur from their dog's fur.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A coarse weed of the genus Xanthium: A type of annual plant, often considered a weed, characterized by its rough, broad leaves and its distinctive spiny seed cases (burs).

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The dog's fur was full of cockle-burs after running through the field.
  • Farmers work to control cockle-bur because it can reduce crop yields.

Advanced Usage

• "Cockle-bur" as a modifier: The term can be used attributively to describe related things.
  • The cockle-bur infestation required immediate attention.

Variants and Related Words

• Cocklebur (n): A common alternative spelling, written as one word.
• Bur (n): A seed case or flower head with a prickly or sticky surface, which is the defining feature of the cockle-bur plant.
• Xanthium (n): The botanical genus name for plants including cockle-bur.

Synonyms

• Clotbur: Another common name for plants in the genus .
• Rough cocklebur: A descriptive synonym.

Notes on Meaning

The primary meaning refers specifically to weedy plants in the genus Xanthium. The most recognizable feature is its spiny bur, which clings to animal fur and clothing for seed dispersal. It is not typically used to refer to other, unrelated bur-producing plants.

Học thuật

Noun

1. any coarse weed of the genus Xanthium having spiny burrs

Từ đồng nghĩa

• cocklebur
• cockleburr
• cockle-burr