cocklebur

American  

[kok-uhl-bur] / ˈkɒk əlˌbɜr /

noun

1. any composite plant of the genus Xanthium, comprising coarse weeds with spiny burs. bur.

2. the burdock, Arctium lappa.

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cocklebur British  

/ ˈkɒkəlˌbɜː /

noun

1. any coarse weed of the genus Xanthium, having spiny burs: family Asteraceae (composites)

2. the bur of any of these plants

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Etymology

Origin of cocklebur

First recorded in 1795–1805; cockle ² + bur ¹

Example Sentences

On the scramble down the bank Obeah had taken them through a thick stand of cockleburs.

From Literature

My stomach felt as if I had swallowed a handful of cockleburs and I was sicker than I had ever been in my life.

From Literature

At this rate, at the end of seven days I’d have an empty tablet and a dog full of cockleburs.

From Literature

Carolina parakeets may have been attracted to farms by the cockleburs growing there as weeds.

From New York Times

The Carolina parakeet had a liking for eating cockleburs, a coarse flowering plant that contains a powerful toxin called carboxytractyloside.

From BBC