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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.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "thistle." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-thistle.html "thistle." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-thistle.html |
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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. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "thistle." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-thistle.html "thistle." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-thistle.html |
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thistle
thistle the Scottish national emblem; the Order of the Thistle is the highest order of Scottish knighthood, instituted by James II in 1687 and revived by Queen Anne in 1703.
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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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "thistle." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "thistle." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-thistle.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "thistle." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-thistle.html |
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thistle
thistle Any of numerous species of plants with thorny leaves and yellow, white, pink, or purple flower heads with prickly bracts. The field thistle, Cirsium discolor, resembles the heraldic thistle, which is the national emblem of Scotland. Family Asteraceae/Compositae.
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"thistle." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "thistle." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-thistle.html "thistle." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-thistle.html |
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thistle
thistle OE. þī́stel = OS. thī́stil, OHG. distil(a) (Du., G. distel), LG. diestel, dîstel, ON. þī́still :- Gmc. *þī́stilaz, -ilō, of unkn. orig.
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T. F. HOAD. "thistle." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "thistle." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-thistle.html T. F. HOAD. "thistle." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-thistle.html |
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thistle
thistle
•hassle, Kassel, passel, tassel, vassal
•axel, axle
•cancel, hansel, Hänsel, Mansell
•transaxle
•castle, metatarsal, parcel, tarsal
•chancel • sandcastle • Newcastle
•Bessel, nestle, pestle, redressal, trestle, vessel, wrestle
•Edsel • Texel
•intercensal, pencil, stencil
•pretzel • staysail • mainsail • Wiesel
•abyssal, bristle, epistle, gristle, missal, scissel, thistle, whistle
•pixel • plimsoll
•tinsel, windsail
•schnitzel, spritsail
•Birtwistle
•paradisal, sisal, trysail
•apostle, colossal, dossal, fossil, glossal, jostle, throstle
•consul, proconsul, tonsil
•dorsal, morsel
•council, counsel, groundsel
•Mosul • fo'c's'le, forecastle
•bustle, hustle, muscle, mussel, Russell, rustle, tussle
•gunsel • corpuscle
•disbursal, dispersal, Purcell, rehearsal, reversal, succursal, tercel, transversal, traversal, universal
•Herzl
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Cite this article
"thistle." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "thistle." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-thistle.html "thistle." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-thistle.html |
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