Fowlfoot

/ˈfaʊlˌfʊt/ noun

Definition

A plant, also called goosegrass or cleavers, with hooked leaves that resemble a bird's foot; a climbing weed with distinctive footlike leaves.

Etymology

Compound word: 'fowl' (bird) plus 'foot,' referring to the distinctive appearance of the plant's clustered leaves resembling the foot of a fowl or bird.

Kelly Says

Fowlfoot gets its name because when you look at the leaf arrangement under a microscope, the hooked barbs really do look like tiny bird claws—medieval herbalists were remarkably observant visual thinkers.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.