Plural of bur; prickly or spiky seed pods or flower heads that stick to clothing and animal fur.
From Middle English 'burre,' possibly from Old Norse 'byrr' meaning 'bushy.' The word evolved to describe the rough, clinging nature of these plant structures.
Burs are nature's velcro! Scientists studied how burs cling to fur and fabric, which inspired the invention of the hook-and-loop fastener Velcro in the 1940s.
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