burdock
burdock Lexical Profile
• noun
Any of several coarse, biennial weeds of the genus Arctium, native to Eurasia, characterized by large leaves and purplish flowers surrounded by prickly bracts that form adhesive burs.
"After hiking off the trail, we had to spend ten minutes pulling sticky burdocks out of the dog's fur."
The long, slender, edible taproot of the burdock plant, widely cultivated and consumed as a crunchy root vegetable in East Asian cuisine.
"The chef prepared a traditional Japanese side dish of braised burdock and julienned carrots glazed in soy sauce and sesame oil."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Middle English 'burdok', formed by compounding 'bur' (referring to the prickly seed heads) and 'dok' (dock, referring to various large-leaved coarse plants).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.