thistle(n = noun.plant) - any of numerous plants of the family Compositae and especially of the genera Carduus and Cirsium and Onopordum having prickly-edged leaves;
is a kind of weed
is a member of aster family, asteraceae, compositae, family asteraceae, family compositae
has particulars: carduus crispus, welted thistle, carduus nutans, musk thistle, nodding thistle, carline thistle, plume thistle, plumed thistle, cirsium discolor, field thistle, cirsium helenioides, cirsium heterophylum, melancholy thistle, blessed thistle, cnicus benedictus, sweet sultan, cotton thistle, onopordon acanthium, onopordum acanthium, scotch thistle, woolly thistle, golden thistle
Any one of several prickly composite plants, especially those of the genera
thistle, n.
1 any of various prickly composite herbaceous plants of the genus Cirsium, Carlina, or Carduus etc., usu. with globular heads of purple flowers.
2 this as the Scottish national emblem.
Etymology:
OE thistel f. Gmc
N sharpness, acuity, acumination, spinosity, point, spike, spine, spicule, spiculum, needle, hypodermic needle, tack, nail, pin, prick, prickle, spur, rowel, barb, spit, cusp, horn, antler, snag, tag thorn, bristle, Adam's needle, bear grass, tine, yucca, nib, tooth, tusk, spoke, cog, ratchet, crag, crest, arete, cone peak, sugar loaf, pike, aiguille, spire, pyramid, steeple, beard, chevaux de frise, porcupine, hedgehog, brier, bramble, thistle, comb, awn, beggar's lice, bur, burr, catchweed, cleavers, clivers, goose, grass, hairif, hariff, flax comb, hackle, hatchel, heckle, wedge, knife edge, cutting edge, blade, edge tool, cutlery, knife, penknife, whittle, razor, razor blade, safety razor, straight razor, electric razor, scalpel, bistoury, lancet, plowshare, coulter, colter, hatchet, ax, pickax, mattock, pick, adze, gill, billhook, cleaver, cutter, scythe, sickle, scissors, shears, pruning shears, cutters, wire cutters, nail clipper, paper cutter, sword, bodkin, belduque, bowie knife, paring knife, bushwhacker, drawing knife, drawing shave, microtome, chisel, screwdriver blade, flint blade, guillotine, sharpener, hone, strop, grindstone, whetstone, novaculite, steel, emery, sharp, keen, acute, acicular, aciform, aculeated, acuminated, pointed, tapering, conical, pyramidal, mucronate, mucronated, spindle shaped, needle shaped, spiked, spiky, ensiform, peaked, salient, cusped, cuspidate, cuspidated, cornute, cornuted, cornicultate, prickly, spiny, spinous, spicular, thorny, bristling, muricated, pectinated, studded, thistly, briary, craggy, snaggy, digitated, two-edged, fusiform, dentiform, denticulated, toothed, odontoid, starlike, stellated, stelliform, sagittate, sagittiform, arrowheaded, arrowy, barbed, spurred, acinaciform, apiculate, apiculated, aristate, awned, awny, bearded, calamiform, cone-shaped, coniform, crestate, echinate, gladiate, lanceolate, lanciform, awl, awl-shaped, lance-shaped, awl- shaped, scimitar-shaped, sword-shaped, setarious, spinuliferous, subulate, tetrahedral, xiphoid, cutting, sharp edged, knife edged, sharp as a razor, keen as a razor, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, sharpened, set.
N levity, lightness, imponderability, buoyancy, volatility, feather, dust, mote, down, thistle, down, flue, cobweb, gossamer, straw, cork, bubble, balloon, float, buoy, ether, air, leaven, ferment, barm, yeast, lighter-than-air balloon, helium balloon, hydrogen balloon, hot air balloon, convection, thermal draft, thermal, light, subtile, airy, imponderous, imponderable, astatic, weightless, ethereal, sublimated, gossamery, suberose, suberous, uncompressed, volatile, buoyant, floating, portable, light as a feather, light as a thistle, light as air, lighter than air, rise like a balloon, float like a balloon.
barnaby's thistle, blessed thistle, blue thistle, boar thistle, brook thistle, bull thistle, canada thistle, carline thistle, common carline thistle, cotton thistle, creeping thistle, european woolly thistle, field thistle, globe thistle, golden thistle, holy thistle, horse thistle, lady's thistle, melancholy thistle, milk thistle, musk thistle, nodding thistle, our lady's mild thistle, plume thistle, plumed thistle, russian thistle, scotch thistle, sow thistle, spear thistle, stemless carline thistle, welted thistle, white thistle, woolly thistle