Thorn: meaning, definitions and examples

๐ŸŒต
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thorn

 

[ ฮธษ”หn ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

plant anatomy

A sharp pointed part on a stem or leaf of a plant, typically a modified leaf or stipule.

Synonyms

barb, prickle, spike.

Examples of usage

  • The rose bush was covered in thorns, making it difficult to prune.
  • Be careful not to get pricked by the thorns on the cactus.
Context #2 | Noun

medieval writing

A letter in the Old English, Old Norse, and Icelandic alphabets, representing the sound of 'th', often written as รพ or รž.

Examples of usage

  • The word 'thorn' is derived from the Old English letter thorn.
  • In Old Norse, the thorn letter was used to represent the 'th' sound in words.

Translations

Translations of the word "thorn" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น espinho

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เค•เคพเคเคŸเคพ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Dorn

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ duri

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ัˆะธะฟ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ cierล„

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ๆฃ˜ (ใจใ’)

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท รฉpine

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ espina

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท diken

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๊ฐ€์‹œ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุดูˆูƒุฉ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ trn

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ tล•ลˆ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๅˆบ (cรฌ)

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ trn

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ รพyrni

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ั‚ั–ะบะตะฝ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒ”แƒ™แƒแƒšแƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ tikan

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ espina

Etymology

The word 'thorn' has a rich history, originating from Old English 'รพorn', which was derived from the Proto-Germanic 'thurnuz'. Thorns have been symbolically associated with protection, defense, and the harshness of nature. In medieval times, the thorn letter was used in Old English, Old Norse, and Icelandic scripts to represent the 'th' sound. Over time, the meaning of 'thorn' has evolved to include both the plant anatomy and the letter in ancient alphabets.

See also: thorny.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #14,060, this word is part of sophisticated English vocabulary. It's useful for academic or professional contexts where precise language is needed.