# nettle
## English

Wikispecies

### Etymology

From Middle English netle, netel, from Old English netle, netele, netel, from Proto-West Germanic *natilā (cognate with Old Saxon netila, Middle Dutch netele (modern Dutch netel), German Nessel, Middle Danish nædlæ (“nettle”)), a diminutive of Proto-Germanic *natǭ (of unknown origin, perhaps from the same source as net).

### Pronunciation

* enPR: nĕt'(ə)l, IPA: [ˈnɛɾʊl]
* Audio (US):(file)
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛt(ə)l

### Noun

nettle (plural nettles)
* Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.
** Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, stinging nettles:
*** Most, but not all, subspecies of Urtica dioica (common nettle),
*** Urtica incisa (Australian nettle);
** Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis);
** Bull nettles and spurge nettles (Cnidoscolus spp.):
*** Cnidoscolus stimulosus, bull nettle, spurge nettle,
*** Cnidoscolus texanus, Texas bull nettle,
*** Cnidoscolus urens, bull nettle,
*** Nettle trees or tree nettles:
**** Various species of the genus Dendrocnide:
**** Urera baccifera (scratchbush),
**** Urtica ferox (tree nettle);
** rock nettle (Eucnide spp.);
** small-leaved nettle (Dendrocnide photinophylla).
* Certain plants that have spines or prickles:
** ball nettle (Solanum carolinense);
** Solanum elaeagnifolium, bull nettle, silver-leaf nettle, white horse-nettle;
** Solanum dimidiatum, western horse-nettle, robust horse-nettle;
** Solanum rostratum, horse-nettle;
** Celtis (hackberry).
* Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:
** dead nettle, dumb nettle (Lamium spp.), particularly Lamium album, white nettle;
** false nettle (Boehmeria spp., family Urticaceae);
** flame nettle or painted nettle (Coleus spp.);
** hedge nettle (Stachys spp.);
** hemp nettle (Galeopsis spp.);
** horse nettle Agastache urticifolia,
** nilgiri nettle, Himalayan giant nettle (Girardinia diversifolia, family Urticaceae).
* Loosely, anything which causes a similarly stinging rash, such as a jellyfish or sea nettle.

#### Derived terms

* deadnettle
* devil's nettle
* dwarf nettle
* European nettle tree
* fen nettle
* grasp the nettle
* hemp-nettle, hemp nettle
* nettle agent
* nettlecloth, nettle cloth
* nettle-fish
* nettle-leaf giant hyssop
* nettle-leaf porterweed
* nettle-leaved horsemint, nettle-leaf horsemint
* nettlelike
* nettle-monger
* nettle-rash
* nettle-rashed
* nettlesome
* nettle-tap
* nettle tree
* nettle tree butterfly
* nettly
* sea nettle
* stinging nettle
* stingless nettle
* stingy nettle

#### Translations
### Verb

nettle (third-person singular simple present nettles, present participle nettling, simple past and past participle nettled)
* (transitive) Of the nettle plant and similar physical causes, to sting, causing a rash in someone.
    The children were badly nettled after playing in the field.
** c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:[…] I am whipp’d and scourged with rods, / Nettled and stung with pismires, when I hear / Of this vile politician, Bolingbroke.
* (transitive, figurative) To pique, irritate, vex or provoke.
** 1658, Thomas Browne, “The Garden of Cyrus. […]. Chapter II.”, in Hydriotaphia, Urne-buriall, […] Together with The Garden of Cyrus, […], London: […] Hen[ry] Brome […], →OCLC, pages 110–111:[T]his is no lavv unto the vvoof of the neat Retiarie Spider, vvhich ſeems to vveave vvithout tranſverſion, and by the union of right lines to make out a continued ſurface, vvhich is beyond the common art of Textury, and may ſtill nettle Minerva the Godeſſe of that myſtery.
** 1679 April 6 (date licensed; Gregorian calendar), A[phra] Behn, The Feign‘d Curtizans, or, A Nights Intrigue. A Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], published 1679, →OCLC, Act V, scene i, page 59:His Miſtreſs: vvhoſe Miſtreſs, vvhat Miſtreſs; s'life hovv that little vvord has nettled me!
** 1741, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XXXI”, in Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], 3rd edition, volume I, London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […]; and J. Osborn, […], →OCLC:I saw Mr. Williams was a little nettled at my Impatience […]
** 1985, United States, Daily Report: People's Republic of China, numbers 180-189, Foreign Broadcast Information Service, page 42:Liu, whose political writings had nettled the Taiwanese authorities, was assassinated on October 15, last year, in Daly City […]

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Anagrams

* letten, telnet