thistle
thistle, popular name for many spiny and usually weedy plants, but especially applied to members of the family Asteraceae (aster family) that have spiny leaves and often showy heads of purple, rose, white, or yellow flowers followed by thistledown seeds (a favorite food of the goldfinch). The Scotch thistle (variously identified, but most often as Onopordum acanthium, now cultivated as an ornamental) is the badge of the Scottish Order of the Thistle and the national emblem of Scotland. The blessed thistle, or St.-Benedict's-thistle (Cnicus benedictus, the Carduus benedictus of Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing, iii:4) was at one time a heal-all and is still sometimes used medicinally. The common, or bull, thistle (Cirsium lanceolatum) and the pasture thistle (Cirsium odoratum) are attractive weeds not to be confused with the so-called Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), naturalized from Europe. A few thistles are cultivated in gardens, e.g., the large-flowered globe thistles, species of the Old World genus Echinops. The Russian thistle is a tumbleweed. Thistle is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Asterales, family Asteraceae.
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"thistle." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. . Encyclopedia.com. 13 Jul. 2017 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"thistle." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. . Encyclopedia.com. (July 13, 2017). http://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/thistle
"thistle." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. . Retrieved July 13, 2017 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/thistle
thistle
this·tle / ˈ[unvoicedth]isəl/ • n. 1. a widely distributed herbaceous plant (Carlina, Cirsium, Carduus, and other genera) of the daisy family, which typically has a prickly stem and leaves and rounded heads of purple flowers. Its numerous species include the bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare). 2. a plant of this type as the Scottish national emblem, esp. the Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium. DERIVATIVES: this·tly / ˈ[unvoicedth]is(ə)lē/ adj.
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"thistle." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. . Encyclopedia.com. 13 Jul. 2017 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"thistle." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. . Encyclopedia.com. (July 13, 2017). http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/thistle-1
"thistle." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. . Retrieved July 13, 2017 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/thistle-1
thistle
In biblical use, thistle is also generally used as the type of an unrewarding crop, as in God's words to Adam (Genesis 3:17–18).
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"thistle." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. . Encyclopedia.com. 13 Jul. 2017 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"thistle." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. . Encyclopedia.com. (July 13, 2017). http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/thistle
"thistle." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. . Retrieved July 13, 2017 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/thistle
thistle
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"thistle." World Encyclopedia. . Encyclopedia.com. 13 Jul. 2017 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"thistle." World Encyclopedia. . Encyclopedia.com. (July 13, 2017). http://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/thistle
"thistle." World Encyclopedia. . Retrieved July 13, 2017 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/thistle
thistle
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"thistle." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. . Encyclopedia.com. 13 Jul. 2017 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"thistle." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. . Encyclopedia.com. (July 13, 2017). http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/thistle-2
"thistle." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. . Retrieved July 13, 2017 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/thistle-2
thistle
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"thistle." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. . Encyclopedia.com. 13 Jul. 2017 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"thistle." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. . Encyclopedia.com. (July 13, 2017). http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/thistle-0
"thistle." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. . Retrieved July 13, 2017 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/thistle-0