Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Thorn

Thorn

,
Noun.
[AS.
þorn
; akin to OS. & OFries.
thorn
, D.
doorn
, G.
dorn
, Dan.
torn
, Sw.
törne
, Icel.
þorn
, Goth.
þaúrnus
; cf. Pol.
tarn
, Russ.
tern’
the blackthorn,
ternie
thorns, Skr.
tṛṇa
grass, blade of grass. √53.]
1.
A hard and sharp-pointed projection from a woody stem; usually, a branch so transformed; a spine.
2.
(Bot.)
Any shrub or small tree which bears thorns; especially, any species of the genus Crataegus, as the hawthorn, whitethorn, cockspur thorn.
3.
Fig.: That which pricks or annoys as a thorn; anything troublesome; trouble; care.
There was given to me a
thorn
in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me.
2 Cor. xii. 7.
The guilt of empire, all its
thorns
and cares,
Be only mine.
Southern.
4.
The name of the Anglo-Saxon letter [GREEK], capital form [GREEK]. It was used to represent both of the sounds of English th, as in thin, then. So called because it was the initial letter of thorn, a spine.
Thorn apple
(Bot.)
,
Jamestown weed.
–
Thorn broom
(Bot.)
,
a shrub that produces thorns.
–
Thorn hedge
,
a hedge of thorn-bearing trees or bushes.
–
Thorn devil
.
(Zool.)
See
Moloch
, 2.
–
Thorn hopper
(Zool.)
,
a tree hopper (
Thelia crataegi
) which lives on the thorn bush, apple tree, and allied trees.

Thorn

,
Verb.
T.
To prick, as with a thorn.
[Poetic]
I am the only rose of all the stock
That never
thorn'd
him.
Tennyson.

Webster 1828 Edition

Thorn

THORN

, n.
1.
A tree or shrub armed with spines or sharp ligneous shoots; as the black thorn; white thorn, &c. The word is sometimes applied to a bush with prickles; as a rose on a thorn.
2.
A sharp ligneous or woody shoot from the stem of a tree or shrub; a sharp process from the woody part of a plant; a spine. Thorn differs from prickle; the latter being applied to the sharp points issuing from the bark of a plant and not attached to the wood, as in the rose and bramble. But in common usage, thorn is applied to the prickle of the rose, and in fact the two words are used promiscuously.
3.
Any thing troublesome. St. Paul had a thorn in the flesh. 2 Cor.12. Num.33.
4.
In Scripture, great difficulties and impediments.
I will hedge up thy way with thorns. Hos.2.
5.
Worldly cares; things which prevent the growth of good principles. Matt.13.

Definition 2024

Thorn

Thorn

See also: thorn and þorn

English

Alternative forms

Proper noun

Thorn

  1. A topographic surname​ for someone living near a thorn bush.

Anagrams

German

Pronunciation

Noun

Thorn m

  1. Þ, thorn (letter)

Proper noun

Thorn n

  1. Toruń (city in Poland)

thorn

thorn

See also: Thorn and þorn

English

Noun

thorn ‎(plural thorns)

  1. A sharp protective spine of a plant.
  2. Any shrub or small tree that bears thorns.
    the white thorn; the cockspur thorn
  3. (figuratively) That which pricks or annoys; anything troublesome.
    • Bible, 2 Corinthians xii. 7
      There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me.
    • South
      The guilt of empire, all its thorns and cares, / Be only mine.
  4. A letter of the Latin alphabet (capital: Þ, small: þ), borrowed by Old English from the futhark to represent a dental fricative, then not distinguished from eth, but in modern use (in Icelandic and other languages, but no longer in English) used only for the voiceless dental fricative found in English thigh
    • See also Etymology of ye (definite article).

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

thorn ‎(third-person singular simple present thorns, present participle thorning, simple past and past participle thorned)

  1. To pierce with, or as if with, a thorn
    • 1869, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Old Town Folks:
      […] human nature is, above all things, lazy, and needs to be thorned and goaded up those heights where it ought to fly.
    • 2003, Scott D. Zachary, Scorn This, page 175:
      Even Judge Bradley's callused sentiments were thorned by the narration of Jaclyn's journals.

Translations

See also

Anagrams

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *þurnuz ‎(“thorn, sloe”), from Proto-Indo-European *trnus, *tr̥nom < *(s)tern- ‎(“thorny bush, thorn”), a variant of the base *(s)ter-, *(s)terə- ‎(“rigid, stiff”). Germanic cognates include Old English þorn (English thorn), Dutch doorn, Old High German thorn (German Dorn), Old Norse þorn (Swedish törne), Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽𐌿𐍃 ‎(þaurnus). The Indo-European root is also the source of Old Church Slavonic трънъ ‎(trŭnŭ) (Russian тёрн ‎(tjorn, “sloe, blackthorn”)), Sanskrit तृण ‎(tṛṇa, “grass”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /θorn/

Noun

thorn m

  1. thorn; thorny bush

Declension

Descendants

  • Low German: Doorn, Dorn

Etymology

From Middle English thorn, þorn and Old English þorn, þyrn ‎(“thorn”), from Proto-Germanic *þurnuz, from Proto-Indo-European *trnus, *tr̥nom < *(s)tern- ‎(“sharp stalk or thorn”), possibly derived from *ster- ‎(“stiff”). Near cognates include West Frisian toarn, Low German Doorn, Dutch doorn, German Dorn, Danish and Norwegian torn, Swedish torn, törne, and Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽𐌿𐍃 ‎(þaurnus). Further cognates include Old Church Slavonic трънъ ‎(trŭnŭ, “thorn”), Russian тёрн ‎(tjorn), Polish cierń, Albanian drizë ‎(“a thorny shrub”) and Sanskrit तृण ‎(tṛṇa, “grass”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /θɔːn/
  • (US) IPA(key): /θɔɹn/
  • Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)n

Similar Results