CEFR C2

barbellate

adjective

Meaning

Covered with short, stiff, hooked bristles or barbs.

Examples

  • The seeds of this weed are barbellate, allowing them to cling easily to animal fur.
  • Under magnification, the barbellate surface of the leaf prevents small insects from crawling up the stem.

Synonyms: bristly, barbed, hispid, uncinate