Nettle vs Thorny - What's the difference?

nettle | thorny |

As a noun nettle

is any plant, the foliage of which is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.

As a verb nettle

is (literally) of the nettle plant and similar physical causes, to sting causing a rash in someone.

As an adjective thorny is

having thorns or spines.

nettle

English

(wikipedia nettle) (Urtica)

Noun

(en noun)

Any plant, the foliage of which is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.

# Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica , the stinging nettles:

## Most, but not all, subspecies of ,

## ;

# Wood nettle ();

# (vern)s and (spurge nettle)s of genus :

## , (bull nettle), (spurge nettle),

## , (Texas bull nettle),

## , (bull nettle),

## (vern) or (tree nettle)s:

### Various species of the genus ,

### ,

### ;

# (rock nettle) ();

# (small-leaved nettle) ().

Certain plants that have spines or prickles:

# (ball nettle) ();

# , (bull nettle), (silver-leaf nettle), (white horse-nettle);

# , (western horse-nettle), (robust horse-nettle);

# , (horse-nettle);

# Celtis .

Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the same family (Lamiaceae as the stinging nettles, that resemble the species of Urtica :

# (dead nettle), (dumb nettle) (Lamium ), particularly , (white nettle);

# (false nettle) ();

# (flame nettle) or (painted nettle) (Coleus );

# (hedge nettle) (Stachys );

# (hemp nettle) ();

# (horse nettle)s:

## ,

## , (ball-nettle), (Carolina horse-nettle),

## , (bull nettle), (silver-leaf nettle), (white horse-nettle);

# (nilgiri nettle), (Himalayan giant nettle) ().

Loosely, anything which causes a similarly stinging rash, such as a jellyfish or sea nettle.

Derived terms

* grasp the nettle * nettle rash * nettlelike * nettlesome * nettly

Verb

(nettl) (transitive)

(literally) Of the nettle plant and similar physical causes, to sting causing a rash in someone.

The children were badly nettled after playing in the field.

(figuratively) To pique, irritate, vex or provoke someone.

Anagrams

* *

thorny

English

Adjective

(er)

having thorns or spines

troublesome or vexatious

* Shakespeare

the steep and thorny way to heaven

aloof and irritable

* Louisa May Alcott, Good Wives

'Come, Jo, don't be thorny . After studying himself to a skeleton all the week, a fellow deserves petting, and ought to get it.'

Derived terms

* (l) * thorny restharrow * thorny trefoil