stickseed

[ stik-seed ]
/ ˈstɪkˌsid /

noun

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

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Origin of stickseed

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

Words nearby stickseed

stickler syndrome, stickley, stickman, stickout, stickpin, stickseed, sticktight, stickum, stickup, stickup man, stickweed
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

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