Spanish needles
- noun
- US
:
aguja española
- Gardeners often find Spanish needles clinging to their clothes after weeding.
Examples
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Many animals help disperse Spanish needles by carrying them in their fur.
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The Spanish needles stuck to my socks after our hike through the field.
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I found some Spanish needles on my shirt.
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Be careful of Spanish needles when walking through the field.
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After a long day of gardening, I noticed Spanish needles stuck to my sleeves.
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While walking through the tall grass, I had to remove several Spanish needles from my pants.
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My dog came home with Spanish needles tangled in his fur after playing in the park.
Synonyms
A plant with yellow flowers and prickly seeds that stick to fur or clothes
Small hooked seeds that cling to clothing or animal fur
A plant with small yellow flowers and seeds that stick to fur and clothing
Surface Forms
Morphology
A learner who knows "Spanish" (of/from Spain) and "needle" (a thin, sharp object) can infer that the term refers to something needle-like and perhaps of regional origin, so the shape and pricking/sticking sense is partially clear. However, the specific referent—a particular plant (bur marigold) whose barbed seeds cling to clothing—is a conventional plant name and not fully predictable from the parts, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Spanish needles comes from the plant's long, thin seeds that look like tiny needles with small hooks. One popular story says these 'needles' easily 'stick' to clothes or animal fur, so the name now refers to the plant and its sticky seeds.
