nettle

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: net=tle

CIDE DICTIONARY

nettle, n. [AS. netele; akin to D. netel, G. nessel, OHG. nezzïla, nazza, Dan. nelde, nälde, Sw. nässla; cf, Lith. notere.].

 A plant of the genus Urtica, covered with minute sharp hairs containing a poison that produces a stinging sensation. Urtica gracilis is common in the Northern, and Urtica chamædryoides in the Southern, United States. The common European species, Urtica urens and Urtica dioica, are also found in the Eastern united States. Urtica pilulifera is the Roman nettle of England.  [1913 Webster]
" The term nettle has been given to many plants related to, or to some way resembling, the true nettle; as: Australian nettle, a stinging tree or shrub of the genus Laportea (as Laportea gigas and Laportea moroides); -- also called nettle tree. -- Bee nettle, Hemp nettle, a species of Galeopsis. See under Hemp. -- Blind nettle, Dead nettle, a harmless species of Lamium. -- False nettle (Bæhmeria cylindrica), a plant common in the United States, and related to the true nettles. -- Hedge nettle, a species of Stachys. See under Hedge. -- Horse nettle (Solanum Carolinense). See under Horse. -- nettle tree. (a) Same as Hackberry. (b) See Australian nettle (above). -- Spurge nettle, a stinging American herb of the Spurge family (Jatropha urens). -- Wood nettle, a plant (Laportea Canadensis) which stings severely, and is related to the true nettles."  [1913 Webster]

Nettle cloth, a kind of thick cotton stuff, japanned, and used as a substitute for leather for various purposes. -- Nettle rash (Med.), an eruptive disease resembling the effects of whipping with nettles. -- Sea nettle (Zoöl.), a medusa.

nettle, v. t. 

 To fret or sting; to irritate or vex; to cause to experience sensations of displeasure or uneasiness not amounting to violent anger.  [1913 Webster]
"The princes were so nettled at the scandal of this affront, that every man took it to himself."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

nettle, n. & v.
--n.
1 any plant of the genus Urtica, esp. U. dioica, with jagged leaves covered with stinging hairs.
2 any of various plants resembling this.
--v.tr.
1 irritate, provoke, annoy.
2 sting with nettles.

Idiom

nettle-rash a skin eruption like nettle stings.

Etymology

OE netle, netele

THESAURUS

nettle

aggravate, agitate, annoy, arouse, badger, bait, be at, bedevil, beset, blow the coals, bother, bramble, brier, bristle, brown off, bug, bullyrag, burn up, burr, cactus, catchweed, chafe, chivy, cleavers, devil, discompose, distemper, disturb, dog, embitter, exasperate, excite, exercise, fan, fan the flame, fash, feed the fire, ferment, fire, foment, fret, get, goose grass, gripe, harass, harry, heat, heat up, heckle, hector, hound, huff, impassion, incense, incite, inflame, instigate, irk, irritate, miff, molest, nag, needle, nudzh, peeve, persecute, perturb, pester, pick on, pine needle, pique, plague, plaque, pluck the beard, pother, prickle, provoke, put out, put up to, quill, rally, rankle, ride, rile, roil, ruffle, set on, set up, sic on, spicule, spiculum, spike, spikelet, spine, sticker, stir the blood, stir the embers, stir up, tease, thistle, thorn, tickle, torment, try the patience, tweak the nose, upset, vex, whet, whip up, work up, worry, yucca

ROGET THESAURUS

nettle

Bane

N bane, curse, evil, hurtfulness, painfulness, scourge, damnosa hereditas, white elephant, sting, fang, thorn, tang, bramble, brier, nettle, poison, toxin, teratogen, leaven, virus venom, arsenic, antimony, tartar emetic, strychnine, nicotine, miasma, miasm, mephitis, malaria, azote, sewer gas, pest, Albany hemp, arsenious oxide, arsenious acid, bichloride of mercury, carbonic acid, carbonic gas, choke damp, corrosive sublimate, fire damp, hydrocyanic acid, cyanide, Prussic acid, hydrogen cyanide, marsh gas, nux vomica, ratsbane, hemlock, hellebore, nightshade, belladonna, henbane, aconite, banewort, bhang, ganja, hashish, Upas tree, Toxline (online), rust, worm, helminth, moth, moth and rust, fungus, mildew, dry rot, canker, cankerworm, cancer, torpedo, viper, demon, toxicology, baneful, poisonous, phr, bibere venenum in auro, Contingent Subservience.

Painfulness

VB cause pain, occasion pain, give pain, bring pain, induce pain, produce pain, create pain, inflict pain, pain, hurt, wound, pinch, prick, gripe, pierce, lancinate, cut, hurt the feelings, wound the feelings, grate upon the feelings, grate upon the nerves, jar upon the feelings, wring the heart, pierce the heart, lacerate the heart, break the heart, rend the heart, make the heart bleed, tear the heart strings, rend the heart strings, draw tears from the eyes, sadden, make unhappy, plunge into sorrow, grieve, fash, afflict, distress, cut up, cut to the heart, displease, annoy, incommode, discompose, trouble, disquiet, faze, feaze, feeze, disturb, cross, perplex, molest, tease, tire, irk, vex, mortify, wherret, worry, plague, bother, pester, bore, pother, harass, harry, badger, heckle, bait, beset, infest, persecute, importune, wring, harrow, torment, torture, bullyrag, put to the rack, put to the question, break on the wheel, rack, scarify, cruciate, crucify, convulse, agonize, barb the dart, plant a dagger in the breast, plant a thorn in one's side, irritate, provoke, sting, nettle, try the patience, pique, fret, rile, tweak the nose, chafe, gall, sting to the quick, wound to the quick, cut to the quick, aggrieve, affront, enchafe, enrage, ruffle, sour the temper, give offense, maltreat, bite, snap at, assail, smite, sicken, disgust, revolt, nauseate, disenchant, repel, offend, shock, stink in the nostrils, go against the stomach, turn the stomach, make one sick, set the teeth on edge, go against the grain, grate on the ear, stick in one's throat, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, gnaw, corrode, horrify, appal, appall, freeze the blood, make the flesh creep, make the hair stand on end, make the blood curdle, make the blood run cold, make one shudder, haunt the memory, weigh on the heart, prey on the heart, weigh on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, prey on the spirits, bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, add a nail to one's coffin.

Resentment

VB resent, take amiss, take ill, take to heart, take offense, take umbrage, take huff, take exception, take in ill part, take in bad part, take in dudgeon, ne pas entendre raillerie, breathe revenge, cut up rough, fly into a rage, fall into a rage, get into a rage, fly into a passion, bridle up, bristle up, froth up, fire up, flare up, open the vials of one's wrath, pour out the vials of one's wrath, pout, knit the brow, frown, scowl, lower, snarl, growl, gnarl, gnash, snap, redden, color, look black, look black as thunder, look daggers, bite one's thumb, show one's teeth, grind one's teeth, champ the bit, champ at the bit, chafe, mantle, fume, kindle, fly out, take fire, boil, boil over, boil with indignation, boil with rage, rage, storm, foam, vent one's rage, vent one's spleen, lose one's temper, stand on one's hind legs, stamp the foot, stamp with rage, quiver with rage, swell with rage, foam with rage, burst with anger, raise Cain, have a fling at, bear malice, cause anger, raise anger, affront, offend, give offense, give umbrage, anger, hurt the feelings, insult, discompose, fret, ruffle, nettle, huff, pique, excite, irritate, stir the blood, stir up bile, sting, sting to the quick, rile, provoke, chafe, wound, incense, inflame, enrage, aggravate, add fuel to the flame, fan into a flame, widen the breach, envenom, embitter, exasperate, infuriate, kindle wrath, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, hit on the raw, rub on the raw, sting on the raw, strike on the raw, put out of countenance, put out of humor, put one's monkey up, put one's back up, raise one's gorge, raise one's dander, raise one's choler, work up into a passion, make one's blood boil, make the ears tingle, throw, into a ferment, madden, drive one mad, lash into fury, lash into madness, fool to the top of one's bent, set by the ears, bring a hornet's nest about one's ears.