Xanthium

noun

Xan·​thi·​um

ˈzan(t)thēəm

: a genus of coarse and rough or spiny herbs (family Compositae) having small heads of greenish flowers of which the pistillate enclosed in an involucre becomes a burr covered with hooked bristles see cocklebur

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek xanthion, a plant used to dye the hair yellow, from xanthos yellow

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