noun
thistle
THIS-uhl/ˈθɪsl/
A prickly plant with purple, pink, or white flower heads.
The thistle has purple flower heads above its sharp, spiny leaves.
Etymology
Old English þistel already named a prickly plant. Its deeper origin is uncertain, though a connection with the idea of pricking or piercing has been proposed.
In context
thistle was its rustic counterpart, bristling with defiant pride. Scotland's adoption of this spiny plant as its national emblem wasn't accidental.
More examples
- Wear thick gloves when pulling thistles from the garden.
- A bee lands on the pink flower head of a thistle.
- Several thistles grow along the edge of the pasture.
Forms
thistle · thistles