thistle

noun

this·​tle ˈthi-səl How to pronounce thistle (audio)
plural thistles
1
: any of various composite (see composite entry 1 sense 1b) flowering plants (especially genera Carduus, Cirsium, and Onopordum) that have prickles on their leaves and sometimes on their stems and often have showy heads of tubular, usually purple flowers
also : any of various other prickly plants
2
often thistle seed plural thistle seeds : the small black seed of a tropical African herbaceous plant (Guizotia abyssinica) used especially as a source of oil and for bird feed
thistly adjective

Illustration of thistle

Illustration of thistle

Examples of thistle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But how can the thistle survive, much less bloom, when its neighbors are reduced to twigs and dust? Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2024 Adjacent to the installation lies Where the soil has been disturbed, a 2022 work that consists of a field of free-standing steel panels fronted by concrete bricks from which petrified Syrian thistles grow. Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019 There’s an image in this piece that looks like a topographical map of a river valley, which is paired with a drawing of a woman next to a thistle. Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019 The butterflies are attracted to over 100 different kinds of flowers, states Gardenia, but prefer flowers from the Family Asteraceae, like thistles. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 13 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for thistle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thistle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English thistel, from Old English; akin to Old High German distill thistle

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thistle was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thistle

Cite this Entry

“Thistle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thistle. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

thistle

noun
this·​tle ˈthis-əl How to pronounce thistle (audio)
: any of various prickly plants related to the daisies and having often showy heads of mostly tubular flowers
thistly adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on thistle

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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