Thistledown (noun)

The fine, downy seed-bearing structure or the seeds themselves of a thistle.

Origin:

Derived from the word 'thistle' referring to a prickly plant, first used in the late 16th century.

Examples:

1. The thistledown was used for stuffing pillows and mattresses in the past.
2. The delicate thistledown drifted gently on the breeze.
3. The thistledown seeds were scattered by the wind, spreading the plants throughout the fields.
4. The children collected the thistledown and used it for making fairy crowns.
5. The thistledown is an example of a type of biological dispersal known as anemochory.