crown of thorns
- a climbing spurge, Euphorbia milii splendens, of Madagascar, having stems covered with spines.
- crown-of-thorns starfish.
- a painful burden, as of suffering, guilt, anxiety, etc.: from the wreath of thorns placed on Jesus' head to mock Him before He was crucified. Matt. 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2, 5.
Origin of crown of thorns
before 950; Middle English; Old English
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
crown of thorns
A mock crown, made from thorn branches, that Roman soldiers put on the head of Jesus before the Crucifixion. The soldiers also “bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews (see also Jews)!’”
Note
In common usage, a “crown of thorns” may be anything that causes intense suffering: “The jailed political leader bears her afflictions like a crown of thorns.” Similar to the expression “cross to bear.” (See Crucifixion.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
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