nettle

[ net-l ]

/ ˈnɛt l /

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See synonyms for: nettle / nettled / nettles on Thesaurus.com

noun

any plant of the genus Urtica, covered with stinging hairs.Compare nettle family.

any of various allied or similar plants.

verb (used with object), net·tled, net·tling.

to irritate, annoy, or provoke.

to sting as a nettle does.

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Idioms about nettle

grasp the nettle, Australian. to undertake or tackle an unpleasant task.

Origin of nettle

before 900; Middle English; Old English netele (noun); cognate with Dutch netel,German Nessel,Norwegian netla

OTHER WORDS FROM nettle

net·tle·like, adjectivenettler, nounnettly, adjectiveun·net·tled, adjective

Words nearby nettle

nett, netted melon, nettie, Nettilling Lake, netting, nettle, nettle cell, nettle family, nettlefish, nettle rash, nettlesome

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nettle in a sentence

General exclamations of surprise and doubt greeted him from our little circle, and this seemed to nettle him somewhat.
The Way of a Man|Emerson Hough
A curious dark blue dead-nettle (Dracocephalum speciosum) was found on dry ground at the same altitude.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921|Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
"Not a word," said Neeld, grasping the nettle firmly this time.
Tristram of Blent|Anthony Hope
The Nettle needs no introduction; we are all too well acquainted with it, yet it is not altogether a weed to be despised.
The plant-lore and garden-craft of Shakespeare|Henry Nicholson Ellacombe

Indeed, the temper of our eminently serene will feel the strain of a doldrum-dulness that is goaded to activity by a nettle.
Lord Ormont and his Aminta, Complete|George Meredith

British Dictionary definitions for nettle

nettle

/ (ˈnɛtəl) /

noun

any weedy plant of the temperate urticaceous genus Urtica, such as U. dioica (stinging nettle), having serrated leaves with stinging hairs and greenish flowers

any of various other urticaceous plants with stinging hairs or spines

any of various plants that resemble urticaceous nettles, such as the dead-nettle, hemp nettle, and horse nettle

grasp the nettle to attempt or approach something with boldness and courage

verb (tr)

to bother; irritate

to sting as a nettle does

Derived forms of nettle

nettle-like, adjectivenettly, adjective

Word Origin for nettle

Old English netele; related to Old High German nazza (German Nessel)

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

nettle

Idioms about nettle

Origin of nettle

OTHER WORDS FROM nettle

Words nearby nettle

Words related to nettle

How to use nettle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nettle

Derived forms of nettle

Word Origin for nettle