1. a small, barbed hair or bristle on the surface of a cactus or similar plant, easily detached and irritating to skin
Usage: botany; often used in plural form 'glochids'

Examples

• The prickly pear cactus is covered with glochids that can irritate your skin.
• Even though the cactus spines look harmless, the tiny glochids are the real problem.
• Glochids from the cholla cactus are nearly invisible but extremely painful.
• When handling cacti, be careful of both the large spines and the microscopic glochids.
• The plant's glochids detach easily and can lodge in clothing or skin.