noun
thorn
The letter þ, representing a th sound.
The manuscript uses thorn for the sound now written th.
Etymology
The letter retained the traditional rune-name thorn. The name-word began with the sound that the character represented.
More examples
- The letter thorn looks like þ.
- She learned to recognize thorn in Old English texts.
- The printer replaced thorn with two letters.
Forms
thorn · thorns
Similar words
- eth
- A different historical letter, ð, also used for a th sound.