stickseed

[ stik-seed ]

/ ˈstɪkˌsid /

noun

any of the weedy plants belonging to the genus Lappula, having prickly seeds that adhere to clothing.

Nearby words

stickley, stickley, gustav, stickman, stickout, stickpin, stickseed, sticktight, stickum, stickup, stickup man, stickweed

Origin of stickseed

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; stick² + seed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for stickseed

stickseed

/ (ˈstɪkˌsiːd) /

noun

any of various Eurasian and North American plants of the boraginaceous genus Lappula, having red-and-blue flowers and small prickly fruitsAlso called: beggar's-lice

Word Origin for stickseed

C19: from stick ²; so called because its seeds have adhesive hooks on them

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