Sandspur

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A prickly annual plant that thrives in sandy environments and produces sharp, spiny seed pods that can cling to fur or clothing
2. This grass-like species, commonly located in coastal and sandy regions, is recognized for its tough, barbed seed cases that pose a nuisance
3. A type of plant found in sandy areas that develops sharp, spiny seeds which easily attach to animals and fabric

Etymology: Sandspur is a plant of the genus Cenchrus, a grass whose seed burrs are armed with sharp, hooked spines that cling to skin, socks and animal fur. The name is one of the more literal compounds in English: "sand" for the loose, sandy ground where the plant grows, and "spur" for the sharp, pointed projections on its seed heads. Spur itself comes from Old English "spura," meaning a spur on a rider's boot, the same sense it still carries, so the plant is named after a rowel-like point that resembles a horseman's spur. The two parts are each ordinary English words, and the compound describes the plant plainly, with no figurative extension or change of meaning from its parts.

Synonyms: sandburr, bur, spiny plant