a sharp excrescence on a plant, especially a sharp-pointed aborted branch; spine; prickle.
any of various thorny shrubs or trees, especially the hawthorns belonging to the genus Crataegus, of the rose family.
the wood of any of these trees.
a runic character (þ), borrowed into the Latin alphabet and representing the initial th sounds in thin and they in Old English, or thin in modern Icelandic.
something that wounds, annoys, or causes discomfort.
a sharp pointed woody extension of a stem or leaf Compare prickle
any of various trees or shrubs having thorns, esp the hawthorn
the wood of any of these plants
short for thorn moth
a Germanic character of runic origin Þ used in Old and Modern Icelandic to represent the voiceless dental fricative sound of th, as in thin, bath. Its use in phonetics for the same purpose is now obsolete See theta
this same character as used in Old and Middle English as an alternative to edh, but indistinguishable from it in function or sound Compare edh
zoology any of various sharp spiny parts
a source of irritation (esp in the phrases a thorn in one's side or flesh )
before 900; Middle English (noun), Old English; cognate with Dutch doorn, German Dorn, Old Norse thorn, Gothic thaurnus
A thorn is a sharp spike that protrudes from the stem of a plant. Roses are famous for having the sweetest fragrance and the sharpest thorns. Literal thorns, found on bushes and other plants, serve to protect plants from animals that might like to eat them. A "thorn in one's side" is an annoyance or problem: "My neighbors are a thorn in my side, with their constant loud music and crazy parties!" The source of this figurative definition is the Bible's "thorn in the flesh."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Inflated memory prices are proving a thorn in Qualcomm’s side.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Quill & Arrow, a personal injury firm that represents drivers suing over so-called “lemons” — vehicles with significant, unfixable manufacturing flaws — has long been a thorn in the side of Ford.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
SNL remains a consistent thorn in his side, especially when Alec Baldwin is playing him.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Will it be a case of rose meet thorn?
From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026
They planted their fields carefully and all about their new plants they built fences made out of sticks and pieces of thorn tree.
From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith
Also on the heavily discounted list are premium varieties like Black Thorn, but the cheapest are the "kampung durians", which are so low on the pecking order that they are yet to be named.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
The safari park lost its previous bull Thorn, who fathered 29 calves over the course of his life, in 2024.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
Michaels, frontman of 1980s band Poison -- of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" fame -- said Friday on Facebook that he made a "difficult decision to step away from this performance."
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
Ms. Burgess’s light soprano and plaintive vibrato suggest that Thorn Rose is not entirely convinced that awakening is a good idea, but she goes along with it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
Witchling or not, the one thing that wouldn’t change was Valley and Thorn.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
It depicts a grieving Madonna, and would likely have been displayed facing an image of Christ wearing a crown of thorns.
From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2026
You’re taking a promenade in a rose garden filled with thorns — forgive my “Bridgerton” evocation.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 6, 2026
Farmers cursed the plant as it dug its thorns into the legs of horses and cowboys.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 17, 2025
Its poisonous thorns also injure livestock, leaving them too weak to roam for food, he added.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2025
But it was just a prickly bush thing....This...this was a whole city of vines and thorns.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
