burdock

American

[bur-dok] / ˈbɜr dɒk /

noun

a composite plant of the genus Arctium, especially A. lappa, a coarse, broad-leaved weed bearing prickly heads of burs that stick to the clothing.

burdock British

/ ˈbɜːˌdɒk /

noun

a coarse weedy Eurasian plant of the genus Arctium , having large heart-shaped leaves, tiny purple flowers surrounded by hooked bristles, and burlike fruits: family Asteraceae (composites)

"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

Etymology

Origin of burdock

First recorded in 1590–1600; bur ¹ + dock ⁴

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A weedy meadow Full of burdock and daisies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

This healing tea consists of sarsaparilla root, ginger, licorice root, cinnamon, burdock root, juniper berry, black pepper, dandelion root, clove oil and cinnamon bark oil.

From Salon • Dec. 14, 2022

Andrew Taylor was hidden under hundreds of seedheads from burdock plants that grow locally for the Burryman's Day celebration through South Queensferry.

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2021

Alas, the judges seemed to misunderstand his second course — octopus karaage with water spinach and burdock root — calling it “like a vegetable side dish.”

From Seattle Times • Jul. 1, 2021

He found he liked burdock root very much, and when the strawberries turned red, he had them on his breath all day.

From "Abel's Island" by William Steig

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023