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caltrop

noun
/ˈkæltɹəp/US/ˈkaltɹəp/UK

Etymology

From Middle English calketrappe, from Old English calcatrippe, from Medieval Latin calcatrippa (“thistle”), from Latin calx or calcare (“to tread”) + trappa (“trap”).

  1. derived from calx
  2. derived from calcatrippa — “thistle”
  3. inherited from calcatrippe
  4. inherited from calketrappe

Definitions

  1. A metal object, usually small, with spikes arranged so that, when thrown onto the ground,…

    A metal object, usually small, with spikes arranged so that, when thrown onto the ground, one always faces up as a threat to pedestrians, horses, and vehicles (also used as a heraldic charge).

    • […] her father, the emperor Alexius, who reigned AD 1081-1118, ordered caltrops to be cast in front of his archers […]
    • By Sung times, several different types of caltrops had been developed. As in earlier times, both caltrops could be made from both wood and iron...
    • Caltrops, tetrahedrons, and similar devices are designed to puncture vehicle tires or limit foot traffic. The standard design has four points.

  2. The starthistle, Centaurea calcitrapa, a plant with sharp thorns.

  3. Any of a number of flowering plants in the family Zygophyllaceae, including several…

    Any of a number of flowering plants in the family Zygophyllaceae, including several members of the genus Kallstroemia and the species Tribulus terrestris, native to warm temperate and tropical regions.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for caltrop. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA