bur reed

noun

any plant of the genus Sparganium, having ribbony leaves and bearing burlike fruit.

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 of bur reed

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.
The Moths of the British Isles, First Series
Richard South

British Dictionary definitions for bur reed

bur reed

noun

a marsh plant of the genus Sparganium, having narrow leaves, round clusters of small green flowers, and round prickly fruit: family Sparganiaceae

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