Thistle

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Thistle \This"tle\, n. [OE. thistil, AS. [thorn]istel; akin to
     D. & G. distel, OHG. distila, distil, Icel. [thorn]istill,
     Sw. tistel, Dan. tidsel; of uncertain origin.] (Bot.)
     Any one of several prickly composite plants, especially those
     of the genera {Cnicus}, {Craduus}, and {Onopordon}. The name
     is often also applied to other prickly plants.


     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Blessed thistle}, {Carduus benedictus}, so named because it
        was formerly considered an antidote to the bite of
        venomous creatures.
  
     {Bull thistle}, {Cnicus lanceolatus}, the common large
        thistle of neglected pastures.
  
     {Canada thistle}, {Cnicus arvensis}, a native of Europe, but
        introduced into the United States from Canada.
  
     {Cotton thistle}, {Onopordon Acanthium}.
  
     {Fuller's thistle}, the teasel.
  
     {Globe thistle}, {Melon thistle}, etc. See under {Globe},
        {Melon}, etc.
  
     {Pine thistle}, {Atractylis gummifera}, a native of the
        Mediterranean region. A vicid gum resin flows from the
        involucre.
  
     {Scotch thistle}, either the cotton thistle, or the musk
        thistle, or the spear thistle; -- all used national
        emblems of Scotland.
  
     {Sow thistle}, {Sonchus oleraceus}.
  
     {Spear thistle}. Same as {Bull thistle}.
  
     {Star thistle}, a species of {Centaurea}. See {Centaurea}.
  
     {Torch thistle}, a candelabra-shaped plant of the genus
        Cereus. See {Cereus}.
  
     {Yellow thistle}, {Cincus horridulus}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Thistle bird} (Zool.), the American goldfinch, or
        yellow-bird ({Spinus tristis}); -- so called on account of
        its feeding on the seeds of thistles. See Illust. under
        {Goldfinch}.
  
     {Thistle butterfly} (Zool.), a handsomely colored American
        butterfly ({Vanessa cardui}) whose larva feeds upon
        thistles; -- called also {painted lady}.
  
     {Thistle cock} (Zool.), the corn bunting ({Emberiza
        militaria}). [Prov. Eng.]
  
     {Thistle crown}, a gold coin of England of the reign of James
        I., worth four shillings.
  
     {Thistle finch} (Zool.), the goldfinch; -- so called from its
        fondness for thistle seeds. [Prov. Eng.]
  
     {Thistle funnel}, a funnel having a bulging body and flaring
        mouth.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  thistle
       n : any of numerous plants of the family Compositae and
           especially of the genera Carduus and Cirsium and
           Onopordum having prickly-edged leaves

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  71 Moby Thesaurus words for "thistle":
     armory, badge, badge of office, badges, baton, blazonry, bramble,
     brassard, brier, bristle, burr, button, cactus, cap and gown,
     catchweed, chain, chain of office, class ring, cleavers, cockade,
     collar, cross, decoration, dress, eagle, emblems, ensigns, fasces,
     figurehead, fleur-de-lis, goose grass, hammer and sickle, heraldry,
     insignia, lapel pin, livery, mace, mantle, markings, medal,
     mortarboard, needle, nettle, old school tie, pin, pine needle,
     prickle, quill, regalia, ring, rose, school ring, shamrock,
     sigillography, skull and crossbones, sphragistics, spicule,
     spiculum, spike, spikelet, spine, staff, sticker, swastika, tartan,
     thorn, tie, uniform, verge, wand, yucca
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Thistle
     (1.) Heb. hoah (2 Kings 14:9; Job 31:40). In Job 41:2 the Hebrew
     word is rendered "thorn," but in the Revised Version "hook." It
     is also rendered "thorn" in 2 Chr. 33:11; Prov. 26:9; Cant. 2:2;
     "brambles" in Isa. 34:13. It is supposed to be a variety of the
     wild plum-tree, but by some it is regarded as the common
     thistle, of which there are many varieties in Palestine.
     
       (2.) Heb. dardar, meaning "a plant growing luxuriantly" (Gen.
     3:18; Hos. 10:8); Gr. tribolos, "a triple point" (Matt. 7:16;
     Heb. 6:8, "brier," R.V. "thistle"). This was probably the
     star-thistle, called by botanists Centaurea calcitropa, or
     "caltrops," a weed common in corn-fields. (See {THORNS}.)