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Glite Dictionary
cockle-bur

cockle-bur

9.9
A coarse weed with spiny seeds that stick to animals or clothing
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑkəlˌbɜr/
  • US
translation icon : burr
  • Dogs often come home with cockle-bur stuck in their fur after running through the fields.

Examples

  • The farmer spent hours pulling cockle-bur plants from the fence line.

  • The cockle-bur is notorious for its clinging burrs and rapid spread in disturbed soils.

  • Look out for cockle-burs!

  • The cockle-bur stuck to my pants while hiking.

  • Dogs often come home with cockle-bur stuck in their fur after running through the fields.

  • The cockle-bur is notorious for its clinging burrs and rapid spread in disturbed soils.

  • The farmer spent hours pulling cockle-bur plants from the fence line.

Synonyms

burr
vscockle-bur
3 7.5

A prickly seed head that sticks to fur and clothes

is the whole coarse plant that produces those spiny seed vessels
cocklebur
vscockle-bur
  • US
1 9.6

A plant with prickly seed heads that stick to fur and clothing

is mainly described for its spiny fruit that cling rather than for uses
bur
vscockle-bur
1 8.4

A dry seed case with small hooks that stick to fur or clothing

is a full plant known for producing those hooked seed vessels
cockle-burr
vscockle-bur
  • US
9.7

A prickly plant with small spiny balls that stick to clothes or animal fur

is known for its spiny fruit that easily cling to animals and clothing
cockleburr
vscockle-bur
  • US
9.9

A coarse weed with spiny seed heads that stick to fur or clothes

is characterized by spiny fruit that easily cling to fur and clothing

Surface Forms

cockle-bur singular
cockle-burs plural

Morphology

cockle-bur = cockle + bur (semi-transparent) = cockle + bur

The element 'bur' (spiny seed) clearly signals the clinging seed, but the modifier 'cockle' (a specific plant name) is less familiar and does not transparently identify the species to most learners.

Etymology

Cockle-bur breaks into cockle and bur, where bur is like the common word 'burr' meaning a spiny seed that sticks to fur and clothes, and cockle was an old name for a weed. So, a cockle-bur is a weedy plant with sticky, spiny fruits that cling to animals and clothing.