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bur reed

noun
  1. any plant of the genus Sparganium, having ribbony leaves and bearing burlike fruit.
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Origin of bur reed

First recorded in 1590–1600
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for bur reed

Historical Examples

  • Golden marigold buttons dotted the marshy spots, and the bur-reed stretched out its bristly fruit on crinkled arms.

    The Song of Songs

    Hermann Sudermann

  • It feeds in July and August in stems of bur-reed (Sparganium), reed-mace, and yellow flag.

British Dictionary definitions for bur reed

bur reed

noun
  1. a marsh plant of the genus Sparganium, having narrow leaves, round clusters of small green flowers, and round prickly fruit: family Sparganiaceae
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012