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

is a kind of weed

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CIDE DICTIONARY

thistle, n. [OE. thistil, AS. ; akin to D. & G. distel, OHG. distila, distil, Icel. , Sw. tistel, Dan. tidsel; of uncertain origin.].

Any one of several prickly composite plants, especially those of the genera Cnicus, Craduus, and Onopordon. The name is often also applied to other prickly plants. [1913 Webster]

Blessed thistle, Carduus benedictus, so named because it was formerly considered an antidote to the bite of venomous creatures. -- Bull thistle, Cnicus lanceolatus, the common large thistle of neglected pastures. -- Canada thistle, Cnicus arvensis, a native of Europe, but introduced into the United States from Canada. -- Cotton thistle, Onopordon Acanthium. -- Fuller's thistle, the teasel. -- Globe thistle, Melon thistle, etc. See under Globe, Melon, etc. -- Pine thistle, Atractylis gummifera, a native of the Mediterranean region. A vicid gum resin flows from the involucre. -- Scotch thistle, either the cotton thistle, or the musk thistle, or the spear thistle; -- all used national emblems of Scotland. -- Sow thistle, Sonchus oleraceus. -- Spear thistle. Same as Bull thistle. -- Star thistle, a species of Centaurea. See Centaurea. -- Torch thistle, a candelabra-shaped plant of the genus Cereus. See Cereus. -- Yellow thistle, Cincus horridulus.

Thistle bird (Zoöl.), the American goldfinch, or yellow-bird (Spinus tristis); -- so called on account of its feeding on the seeds of thistles. See Illust. under Goldfinch. -- Thistle butterfly (Zoöl.), a handsomely colored American butterfly (Vanessa cardui) whose larva feeds upon thistles; -- called also painted lady. -- Thistle cock (Zoöl.), the corn bunting (Emberiza militaria). [Prov. Eng.] -- Thistle crown, a gold coin of England of the reign of James I., worth four shillings. -- Thistle finch (Zoöl.), the goldfinch; -- so called from its fondness for thistle seeds. [Prov. Eng.] -- Thistle funnel, a funnel having a bulging body and flaring mouth.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

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

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THESAURUS

thistle
armory, badge, badge of office, badges, baton, blazonry, bramble, brassard, brier, bristle, burr, button, cactus, cap and gown, catchweed, chain, chain of office, class ring, cleavers, cockade, collar, cross, decoration, dress, eagle, emblems, ensigns, fasces, figurehead, fleur-de-lis, goose grass, hammer and sickle, heraldry, insignia, lapel pin, livery, mace, mantle, markings, medal, mortarboard, needle, nettle, old school tie, pin, pine needle, prickle, quill, regalia, ring, rose, school ring, shamrock, sigillography, skull and crossbones, sphragistics, spicule, spiculum, spike, spikelet, spine, staff, sticker, swastika, tartan, thorn, tie, uniform, verge, wand, yucca

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ROGET THESAURUS

thistle

Sharpness
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.

Levity
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.

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