sow thistle

American  

[sou] / saʊ /

noun

1. any composite plant belonging to the genus Sonchus, especially S. oleraceus, a weed having thistlelike leaves, yellow flowers, and a milky juice.

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sow thistle British  

/ saʊ /

noun

1. Also called: milk thistle.   puha.   rauriki.  any of various plants of the Old World genus Sonchus, esp S. oleraceus, having milky juice, prickly leaves, and heads of yellow flowers: family Asteraceae (composites)

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Etymology

Origin of sow thistle

1200–50; Middle English sowethistel, earlier sugethistel. See sow ², thistle

Example Sentences

"I think she clearly is a keen botanist because pressed in a number of the pages are wild flowers," says Fiona, listing kidney vetch, cranesbill, louse wort and sow thistle, among others.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2021

He muttered something about Hazel being too embleer clever by half, cuffed Hawkbit off a sow thistle he was nibbling and led his five rabbits over the bank into the field.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

The stock in the settlement was plentiful, but, from being fed chiefly on sow thistle during the general deficiency of hard food, the animals looked ill, and were as badly tasted.

From An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 1 With Remarks on the Dispositions, Customs, Manners, Etc. of The Native Inhabitants of That Country. to Which Are Added, Some Particulars of New Zealand; Compiled, By Permission, From The Mss. of Lieutenant-Governor King. by Collins, David

Many grasslands have a stand of dandelions; sow thistle, wild lettuce, and ragweed were also common in some grasslands.

From Natural History of the Prairie Vole (Mammalian Genus Microtus) [KU. Vol. 1 No. 7] by Jameson, E. W.

The sow thistle, a plant that occurs in almost every part of the world, was nothing different here from its usual habit in Europe.

From Travels in China, Containing Descriptions, Observations, and Comparisons, Made and Collected in the Course of a Short Residence at the Imperial Palace of Yuen-Min-Yuen, and on a Subsequent Journey through the Country from Pekin to Canton by Barrow, John, Sir