See Also: Thistle(medicine)
thistle(dictionary)
thistle(encyclopedia)
thistle(dictionary)
Order of the Thistle, the(dictionary)
Thistle London Heathrow(tourism)
Thistle London Gatwick(tourism)
Thistle Kensington Palace(tourism)
Thistle Islington Heathrow(tourism)
Thistle Charing Cross(tourism)

thistle (iou)



thistle noun & verb.
[Old English T&imactilde;stel = Old Saxon T&imactilde;stil, Old High German distil(a) (Low German diestel, distel, Dutch distel, German Distel), Old Norse T&imactilde;still, from Germanic, of unkn. origin.]
A. noun.
Any of numerous prickly-leaved and freq. also prickly-stemmed plants of the genera Carduus, Cirsium, and related genera of the composite family, which have tubular, chiefly purple flowers in globular heads; spec. any of those occurring as weeds. Also (usu. with specifying word), any of several prickly plants of other families. OE.
blessed thistle, Canada thistle, carline thistle, cotton-thistle, globe thistle, Mexican thistle, plume thistle, Russian thistle, Scotch thistle, spear thistle, star-thistle, etc.
An image or figure of (the head of) a thistle, esp. as the national emblem of Scotland. L15.
b. the Thistle, the badge of a Scottish order of knighthood instituted by James II & VII in 1687 and revived by Queen Anne in 1703; (membership of) this order. L17.
A thing resembling a thistle in form or appearance; fig. a prickly and troublesome thing. M17.
Comb.: thistle-bird dial. a bird that feeds on thistle seeds; esp. the American goldfinch, Carduelis tristis; thistle crown Hist. an English gold coin of James I, bearing the figure of a thistle on the reverse, and worth about 4 shillings; thistle-crown the flower-head of a thistle; thistle cup a silver cup with an outward-turning rim (of a type formerly manufactured in Scotland); thistle dollar Hist. a Scottish silver coin of James VI, bearing the figure of a thistle on the reverse, and worth two marks (MARK noun2 2); thistledown (a) the light feathery down or pappus of a thistle seed; thistle seeds collectively, esp. as carried along by the wind; (b) fig. a very light and insubstantial thing; thistle-finch dial. a finch which feeds on thistle seeds; esp. the goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis; thistle funnel Chemistry a kind of funnel with a large bulb between the conical flared part and the tube, suggesting the form of a thistle-head on its stalk; thistle glass a drinking-glass with a round bowl and an outward-turning rim; thistle-head the flower-head of a thistle.
b. verb trans. Clear of thistles, weed out the thistles from. rare. M18.
thistled adjective covered or overgrown with thistles; decorated with figures of thistles: M18.
thistle-like adjective resembling (the flower of) a thistle M19.
thistly adjective of the nature of or resembling a thistle; spiny, prickly; consisting of thistles; overgrown with thistles: L16.