stickseed

[stik-seed]

noun

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

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. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for stickseed

stickseed

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