crown of thorns
a succulent flowering plant, Euphorbia milii, of the spurge family, with densely spiny stems that climb and scramble over other vegetation: native to Madagascar, the species and its numerous varieties are widely cultivated for gardens and as houseplants.
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. Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2, 5.
Origin of crown of thorns
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for crown-of-thorns
a starfish, Acanthaster planci, that has a spiny test and feeds on living coral in coral reefs
Also called: Christ's thorn a thorny euphorbiaceous Madagascan shrub, Euphorbia milii var. splendens, cultivated as a hedging shrub or pot plant, having flowers with scarlet bracts
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for 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)!’”
Notes for crown of thorns
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse