caltrop

Meaning

1. 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).
2. (colloquial) The starthistle, Centaurea calcitrapa, a plant with sharp thorns.
3. 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.

Synonyms

water chestnut

star-thistle

water chestnut plant

devil’s weed

Tribulus terestris

caltrap

Centauria calcitrapa

goathead

caltrop chain

Chinese water chestnut

puncture vine

puncture-vine

puncturevine

bullhead

crow's foot

calthrop

obstacles

spider

🕷️

spike

thorns

Mexican sandbur

Translations

abrolho

murex

estrepe

centaurée chausse-trape

abrojo

Krähenfuß

chausse-trape

tribulo comune

tribolo

tribule terrestre

tribule

castagna d’acqua

pied de corbeau

piede di corvo

chaîne à chausse-trapes

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkæltɹəp/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: calketrappe

Inherited from Old English: calcatrippe

In summary

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