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| thorn [ thawrn ] (plural thorns) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. sharp point on plant stem: a sharply pointed woody growth projecting from the stem of some trees, bushes, and woody plants
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2. plant with thorns: a tree, bush, or woody plant that has thorns
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3. wood of tree with thorns: the wood of a tree or bush with thorns
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4. runic letter: a runic letter used to represent both of the "th" sounds, as in "this" and "thick," in Old English and Middle English. It also represents the voiceless "th" sound, as in "thick," in Old Norse and Icelandic and was formerly used as a phonetic symbol.
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| [ Old English þorn< Germanic] |
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  thorned adjective |
| thorn·less adjective |
| thorn·like adjective |
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be a thorn in (somebody's) flesh or side to be a source of constant irritation to somebody
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