Meanings
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1
noun
a hard, sharp-pointed growth on a plant, botanically often a modified stem or branch
A thorn caught the sleeve of her jacket as she passed the hedge.
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2
noun
a person or thing that causes persistent trouble or annoyance, especially in the phrase a thorn in someone's side
The unresolved boundary dispute remained a thorn in the council's side.
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3
noun
the historical Germanic letter þ, used for sounds now usually written th
The letter thorn appears frequently in Old English manuscripts.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English thorn, from Old English þorn, from Proto-Germanic *þurnaz. The same Old English word named both the plant spine and the runic letter þ, whose shape and name continued in medieval writing.