sandbur

or sand·burr

[sand-bur]

noun

any of various grasses of the genus Cenchrus, having spikelets enclosed in prickly burs.
any of several bur-bearing weeds growing in sandy places, as Franseria acanthicarpa or Solanum rostratum, of the western U.S.

Origin of sandbur

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30; sand + bur¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018