thorn

noun

1. 1

   A modified branch that is hard and sharp like a spike.

2. 2

   Any thorn-like structure on plants, such as the spine and the prickle.

   On the mountains a few junipers and piñons are found, and cactuses, agave, and yuccas, low, fleshy plants with bayonets and thorns.

3. 3

   Any shrub or small tree that bears thorns, especially a hawthorn.

   the white thorn

   the cockspur thorn

4. 4

   figurativeThat which pricks or annoys; anything troublesome.

   There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me.

   The guilt of empire, all its thorns and cares, / Be only mine.

5. 5

   A letter of Latin script (capital: Þ, small: þ), borrowed from the futhark; today used only in Icelandic to represent the voiceless dental fricative, but originally used in several early Germanic scripts, including Old English where it represented the dental fricatives that are today written th (Old English did not have phonemic voicing distinctions for fricatives).

   In Old English manuscripts thorn and eth did not have different phonetic values but were used positionally[.]

   See also Etymology of ye (definite article).

verb

1. 1

   To pierce with, or as if with, a thorn (sharp pointed object).

   […] human nature is, above all things, lazy, and needs to be thorned and goaded up those heights where it ought to fly.

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

Forms

plural

thorns

past tense

thorned

past participle

thorned

present participle

thorning

third person singular

thorns