Thistle vs Thorn - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between thistle and thorn

is that thistle is any of several perennial composite plants, especially of genera Cirsium, Carduus, Cynara or genus: Onopordum, having prickly leaves and showy flower heads with prickly bracts while thorn is a sharp protective spine of a plant.

As a verb thorn is

to pierce with, or as if with, a thorn.

As a proper noun Thorn is

{{surname|topographic|from=Middle English}} for someone living near a thorn bush.

thistle

English

(wikipedia thistle)

Noun

(en noun)

Any of several perennial composite plants, especially of genera Cirsium'', ''Carduus'', ''Cynara or , having prickly leaves and showy flower heads with prickly bracts.

* , Genesis 3:18:

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field [...].

This plant seen as the national emblem of Scotland.

The Order of the Thistle, or membership thereof.

* 1978 , (Lawrence Durrell), Livia'', Faber & Faber 1992 (''Avignon Quintet ), p. 324:

Here's a passage which will please you: ‘It is said that when rich he twice refused the thistle .’

Derived terms

{{der3, blessed thistle , bull thistle , Canada thistle , carline thistle , globe thistle , marsh thistle , milk thistle , Russian thistle , sow thistle , spear thistle , star thistle , thistle butterfly , thistledown}}

References

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Anagrams

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thorn

English

(wikipedia thorn)

Noun

(en noun)

A sharp protective spine of a plant.

Any shrub or small tree that bears thorns.

the white thorn'''; the cockspur '''thorn

(figurative) 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.

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 '' '''th igh

* See also Etymology of ye (definite article).

Derived terms

* thorn apple * thorn broom * thornbush * thorn devil * thorn hopper * thorn in one's side * Thornton * thorny

Verb

(en verb)

To pierce with, or as if with, a

* {{quote-book, year=1869, author=, title=Old Town Folks citation

, passage=

* {{quote-book, year=2003, author=Scott D. Zachary, title=Scorn This, pageurl=http://books.google.com/books?id=HELSK5JtSbMC&pg=PA175, page=175

, passage=Even Judge Bradley's callused sentiments were thorned by the narration of Jaclyn's journals.}}

Anagrams

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