caltrop
English · Thesaurus
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caltrop
- /ˈkæltɹəp/ US
- /ˈkaltɹəp/ UK
- /ˈkɔːltɹəp/ UK
Rhymes with -æltɹəp, -ɔːltɹəp
Where it comes from
From Middle English calketrappe, from Old English calcatrippe, from Medieval Latin calcatrippa (“thistle”), from Latin calx or calcare (“to tread”) + trappa (“trap”).
noun caltrops
-
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 […]
Similar: crow's foot, crowfoot, jackrock, cheval trap
-
The starthistle, Centaurea calcitrapa, a plant with sharp thorns.
Similar: knapweed
- 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.
Translations
Every language
noun weaponry
| Español | abrojo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 마름쇠 mareumsoe |
| 日本語 | 鉄菱 tetsubishi |
| 中文 | 蒺藜 jílí |
| Português | abrolho, estrepe, miguelito |
| Français | chausse-trape, pied de corbeau |
| Deutsch | Krähenfuß, Fußangel |
| Italiano | tribolo, piede di corvo |
| Русский | чесно́к česnók, про́волочный ёж próvoločnyj jož |
| Tiếng Việt | chông sắt |
| العربية | حَسَك ḥasak |
noun starthistle
| Español | encojaperros, garbanzo del cura |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 紫星薊 /紫星蓟 zǐxīngjì |
| Português | abrolho |
| Français | centaurée chausse-trape, chardon étoilé |
| Русский | василёк колючеголо́вый vasiljók koljučegolóvyj |
noun Tribulus terrestris
| Español | abrojo terrestre, cadillo, cuerno de chivo, tribulo, cruz maltesa |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | ハマビシ hamabishi |
| 中文 | 蒺藜 jílí |
| Português | abrolho |
| Français | tribule terrestre |
| Italiano | tribulo comune |
| Română | colții-babei |
| Русский | я́корец сте́лющийся jákorec stéljuščijsja, я́корец назе́мный jákorec nazémnyj |
| العربية | حَسَك ḥasak |
Talk about this word "caltrop." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/caltrop. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. caltrop. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/caltrop "caltrop." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/caltrop.Cite this
@misc{caltrop_2026,
title = {caltrop},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/caltrop},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
