thorn
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Middle English thorn, þorn, from Old English þorn, þyrn (“thorn”), from Proto-West Germanic *þornu, from Proto-Germanic *þurnuz, from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥nós, from *(s)ter- (“stiff”).
cognates
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
thorn (plural thorns)
- (botany) A sharp protective spine of a plant.
- Any shrub or small tree that bears thorns, especially a hawthorn.
- the white thorn
- the cockspur thorn
- (figuratively) That which pricks or annoys; anything troublesome.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, 2 Corinthians 12:7:
- There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me.
- 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), 6th edition, London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727, OCLC 21766567:
- The guilt of empire, all its thorns and cares, / Be only mine.
- 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).
- See also Etymology of ye (definite article).
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
sharp protective spine of a plant
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any shrub or small tree that bears thorns
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letter of the Latin alphabet (Þ, þ)
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
VerbEdit
thorn (third-person singular simple present thorns, present participle thorning, simple past and past participle thorned)
- To pierce with, or as if with, a thorn (sharp pointed object).
- 1869, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Old Town Folks[1]:
- […] 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.
TranslationsEdit
to pierce with, or as if with, a thorn
See alsoEdit
Further readingEdit
- thorn on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- Thorns, spines, and prickles on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- Thorn (letter) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
AnagramsEdit
Middle EnglishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
Inherited from Old English þorn, from Proto-West Germanic *þorn, from Proto-Germanic *þurnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥nós.
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
thorn (plural thornes)
- A thorn (spine on a plant with a sharp point)
- Thorn or eth (the letter þ and/or ð )
- A plant having thorns, especially the hawthorn or rosebush.
- (rare) Thorns pulled from the ground for burning.
- (rare) A dish incorporating hawthorn.
Derived termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
ReferencesEdit
- “thorn, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-12.
Old SaxonEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Proto-West Germanic *þornu (“thorn, sloe”)
Cognates
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”).
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
thorn m
- thorn; thorny bush
DeclensionEdit
Declension of thorn (masculine a-stem)
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | thorn | thornos |
accusative | thorn | thornos |
genitive | thornes | thornō |
dative | thorne | thornum |
instrumental | — | — |