thorn
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: biology
botany
natural-sciences
Etymology: From Middle English thorn, þorn, from Old English þorn, from Proto-West Germanic *þorn, from Proto-Germanic *þurnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥nós, from *(s)ter- (“stiff”).
Cognates
Near cognates include West Frisian toarn, Low German Doorn, Dutch doorn, German Dorn, Danish and Norwegian torn, Swedish torn, törne, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽𐌿𐍃 (þaurnus). Further cognates include Old Church Slavonic трънъ (trŭnŭ, “thorn”), Russian тёрн (tjorn), Polish cierń, Kamkata-viri taňi, tai (“thorn”), Sanskrit तृण (tṛ́ṇa, “grass”).
Inflected forms:
form: thorns
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: þorn
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: thorns
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: thorning
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: thorned
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: thorned
pos: verb
tags: past
form: þorn
pos: verb
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: A modified branch that is hard and sharp like a spike.
pos: noun
gloss: Any thorn-like structure on plants, such as the spine and the prickle.
pos: noun
examples: On the mountains a few junipers and piñons are found, and cactuses, agave, and yuccas, low, fleshy plants with bayonets and thorns.
gloss: Any shrub or small tree that bears thorns, especially a hawthorn.
pos: noun
examples: the white thorn
the cockspur thorn
gloss: That which pricks or annoys; anything troublesome.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
examples: There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me.
The guilt of empire, all its thorns and cares, / Be only mine.
gloss: A letter of Latin script (capital: Þ, small: þ), borrowed from the futhark; today used only in Icelandic to represent the voiceless dental fricative, but originally used in several early Germanic scripts, including Old English where it represented the dental fricatives that are today written th (Old English did not have phonemic voicing distinctions for fricatives).
pos: noun
examples: In Old English manuscripts thorn and eth did not have different phonetic values but were used positionally[.]
See also Etymology of ye (definite article).
gloss: To pierce with, or as if with, a thorn (sharp pointed object).
pos: verb
examples: […] human nature is, above all things, lazy, and needs to be thorned and goaded up those heights where it ought to fly.
Even Judge Bradley's callused sentiments were thorned by the narration of Jaclyn's journals.
Derived words: bastard umbrella thorn
bethorned
blackthorn
boxthorn
buckthorn
buffalo thorn
camelthorn
Christ's thorn
crucifixion thorn
desert-thorn
Egyptian thorn
every rose has a thorn
every rose has its thorn
fairy thorn
firethorn
garland thorn
giraffe thorn
Glastonbury thorn
goat's thorn
hookthorn
Jerusalem thorn
Karoo thorn
knobthorn
maythorn
monkey thorn
Mysore thorn
no rose without a thorn
Osage thorn
sandthorn
September thorn
sweet thorn
thorn apple
thorn-apple crystal
thornback
thornbill
thornbird
thorn broom
thornbush
thorn cluster
thorn devil
thornen
thornery
thornfish
thorn forest
thornhead
thornhog
thorn hopper
thorn in one's side
thorn in someone's side
thorn in the flesh
thornless
thornlet
thornlike
thornproof
thorntail
Thornton
thorn-tree
thorn tree
thornveld
thorny
umbrella thorn
whitethorn
yellowthorn
Translations:
lang: Abaza
word: мгъы
roman: mɣə
lang: Afar
word: keena
lang: Afrikaans
word: doring
lang: Albanian
word: ferrë
lang: Albanian
word: thumb
lang: Arabic
word: أَسَلَة
roman: ʔasala
lang: Arabic
word: شَوْكَة
roman: šawka
lang: Arabic
word: شوك
roman: šōk
lang: Arabic
word: شوكة
roman: šōka
lang: Archi
word: цац
roman: cac
lang: Armenian
word: փուշ
roman: pʻuš
lang: Aromanian
word: schin
lang: Assamese
word: কাঁইট
roman: kãit
lang: Assamese
word: কঁটা
roman: kõta
lang: Avar
word: заз
roman: zaz
lang: Aymara
word: ch'aphi
lang: Azerbaijani
word: tikan
lang: Bangi
word: losende
lang: Basque
word: arantza
lang: Basque
word: elorri
lang: Central Bikol
word: tunok
lang: Bulgarian
word: трън
roman: trǎn
lang: Bulgarian
word: бодил
roman: bodil
lang: Burmese
word: ဆူး
roman: hcu:
lang: Catalan
word: aculi
lang: Catalan
word: espina
lang: Catalan
word: eculi
lang: Catalan
word: agulló
lang: Catalan
word: fibló
lang: Cebuano
word: tunok
lang: Chamicuro
word: kajpayi
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 枝刺
roman: zhīcì
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 莖刺 /茎刺
roman: jīngcì
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 刺
roman: cì
lang: Ngazidja Comorian
word: shiɓa
lang: Cornish
word: dren
lang: Czech
word: trn
lang: Czech
word: osten
lang: Dalmatian
word: spaina
lang: Danish
word: torn
lang: Dutch
word: doorn
lang: Egyptian
word: s-r:*t-M44
roman: srt
lang: Esperanto
word: dorno
lang: Estonian
word: astel
lang: Estonian
word: okas
lang: Estonian
word: oga
lang: Faroese
word: tornur
lang: Faroese
word: torn
lang: Finnish
word: piikki
lang: Finnish
word: oka
lang: Finnish
word: ora
lang: Finnish
word: ota
lang: Finnish
word: oas
lang: French
word: épine
lang: North Frisian
word: Tuurn
lang: West-Frisian
word: toarne
lang: Friulian
word: spine
lang: Friulian
word: spin
lang: Galician
word: espiña
lang: Galician
word: sevia
lang: Galician
word: áscura
lang: Galician
word: espunlla
lang: Galician
word: puga
lang: Georgian
word: ეკალი
roman: eḳali
lang: German
word: Dorn
lang: Greek
word: αγκάθι
roman: agkáthi
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ἄκανθα
roman: ákantha
lang: Hawaiian
word: kākala
lang: Hebrew
word: שַׁיִת
roman: shayit
lang: Hebrew
word: קֹוץ
roman: kotz
lang: Higaonon
word: dugi
lang: Hiligaynon
word: tunok
lang: Hindi
word: काँटा
roman: kā̃ṭā
lang: Hungarian
word: tüske
lang: Hungarian
word: tövis
lang: Indonesian
word: duri
lang: Irish
word: dealg
lang: Italian
word: spina
lang: Italian
word: aculeo
lang: Japanese
word: 刺
lang: Japanese
word: 棘
roman: toge
lang: Japanese
word: 茨
roman: toge
lang: Japanese
word: 荊
roman: toge
lang: Jarai
word: drơi
lang: Javanese
word: ꦲꦼꦫꦶ
roman: eri
lang: Old Javanese
word: duri
lang: Old Javanese
word: rwi
lang: Kamviri
word: taňí
lang: Kapampangan
word: duwi
lang: Kapampangan
word: duyi
lang: Khmer
word: បន្លា
roman: bɑnlaa
lang: Kikuyu
word: mũigua
lang: Korean
word: 가시
roman: gasi
lang: Central Kurdish
word: دڕک
roman: dirrik
lang: Central Kurdish
word: دِڕوو
roman: dirrû
lang: Laki
word: دِڕک
roman: dirrk
lang: Northern Kurdish
word: strî
lang: Northern Kurdish
word: dirrî
lang: Southern Kurdish
word: دِڕِگ
roman: dirrig
lang: Lao
word: ໜາມ
roman: nām
lang: Latgalian
word: ierškiezs
lang: Latin
word: spīna
lang: Latvian
word: ērkšķis
lang: Latvian
word: dzelonis
lang: Lezgi
word: цаз
roman: caz
lang: Lingala
word: losende
lang: Lithuanian
word: rakis
lang: Low German
word: Doorn
lang: Luhya
word: kumwiva
lang: Macedonian
word: трн
roman: trn
lang: Malay
word: duri
lang: Manchu
word: ᠪᡠᠯᠠ
roman: bula
lang: Manchu
word: ᠰᠠᡳᡥᡡᠸᠠ
roman: saihūwa
lang: Western Bukidnon Manobo
word: duɣi
lang: Māori
word: tara
lang: Māori
word: ngita
lang: Maranao
word: tenek
lang: Marathi
word: कंटक
roman: kaṇṭak
lang: Marathi
word: काटा
roman: kāṭā
lang: Central Melanau
word: duwei
lang: Mon
word: ဓလ
roman: həlɛ̀ˀ
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: torn
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: torn
lang: Occitan
word: espina
lang: Old English
word: þorn
lang: Paiwan
word: djui
lang: Pashto
word: اغزی
roman: aγzai
lang: Persian
word: خار
roman: xâr
lang: Persian
word: غاژ
roman: ġaž
lang: Polabian
word: dren
lang: Polish
word: kolec
lang: Polish
word: cierń
lang: Portuguese
word: espinho
lang: Portuguese
word: acúleo
lang: Quechua
word: t'uksi
lang: Quechua
word: kichka
lang: Quechua
word: kaşa
lang: Romanian
word: spin
lang: Romanian
word: ghimpe
lang: Romansh
word: spina
lang: Romansh
word: spegna
lang: Russian
word: шип
roman: šip
lang: Russian
word: колю́чка
roman: koljúčka
lang: Saho
word: keena
lang: Samoan
word: tala
lang: Sanskrit
word: कण्टक
roman: kaṇṭaka
lang: Sardinian
word: ispina
lang: Sardinian
word: spina
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: stob
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: droigheann
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: dealg
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: trn
lang: Slovak
word: tŕň
lang: Slovak
word: pichliač
lang: Slovak
word: osteň
lang: Somali
word: qodax
lang: Spanish
word: espina
lang: Spanish
word: puncha
lang: Spanish
word: pincha
lang: Spanish
word: aguate / ahuate / afate / guate
lang: Spanish
word: ajuate / uguate / huate
lang: Spanish
word: shute
lang: Sundanese
word: rucuk
lang: Swahili
word: mwiba
lang: Swedish
word: törne
lang: Swedish
word: torn
lang: Tagalog
word: tinik
lang: Tahitian
word: tara
lang: Tausug
word: tunuk
lang: Telugu
word: ముల్లు
roman: mullu
lang: Telugu
word: కంటకము
roman: kaṇṭakamu
lang: Thai
word: หนาม
roman: nǎam
lang: Northern Thai
word: ᩉ᩠ᨶᩣ᩠ᨾ
lang: Tongan
word: tala
lang: Turkish
word: diken
lang: Ottoman Turkish
word: دیكن
roman: diken
lang: Ukrainian
word: колю́чка
roman: koljúčka
lang: Urdu
word: کانٹا
roman: kā̃ṭā
lang: Uzbek
word: tikon
lang: Vietnamese
word: gai
lang: Welsh
word: draenen
lang: Yiddish
word: דאָרן
roman: dorn
lang: Zande
word: kiwe
lang: Zhuang
word: oen
lang: Zyphe
word: hling
lang: ǃXóõ
word: gǃqhàẽ