thistle

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: this=tle

CIDE DICTIONARY

thistle, n. [OE. thistil, AS. ; akin to D. & G. distel, OHG. distila, distil, Icel. , Sw. tistel, Dan. tidsel; of uncertain origin.].

 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.

Thistle bird (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), a handsomely colored American butterfly (Vanessa cardui) whose larva feeds upon thistles; -- called also painted lady. -- Thistle cock (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), the goldfinch; -- so called from its fondness for thistle seeds. [Prov. Eng.] -- Thistle funnel, a funnel having a bulging body and flaring mouth.