a coarse weedy Eurasian plant of the genus Arctium, having large heart-shaped leaves, tiny purple flowers surrounded by hooked bristles, and burlike fruits: family Asteraceae (composites)
Also called: hardoke
Word origin
C16: from bur + dock4
burdock in American English
(ˈbɜrˌdɑk)
noun
any of several plants (genus Arctium) of the composite family, with large basal leaves and purple-flowered heads covered with hooked prickles
Word origin
bur1 + dock4
Examples of 'burdock' in a sentence
burdock
He gathered a handful of burdock leaves and a bundle of deadfall branches, shaving some of the latter into paper-thin kindling.
Tepper, Sheri S. A PLAGUE OF ANGELS (2003)
You could almost feel the humidity summoning the crabgrass and burdock up into gaps and voids.