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• thorn
  thorn

  noun

  a sharp excrescence on a plant, especially a sharp-pointed aborted branch; spine; prickle.
• Thorn
  Thorn

  noun

  German name of Toruń.

thorn

¹ American  

[thawrn] / θɔrn /

noun

• thorns
  plural

1. a sharp excrescence on a plant, especially a sharp-pointed aborted branch; spine; prickle.

2. any of various thorny shrubs or trees, especially the hawthorns belonging to the genus Crataegus, of the rose family.

3. the wood of any of these trees.

4. 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.

5. something that wounds, annoys, or causes discomfort.

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verb (used with object)

1. to prick with a thorn; vex.

idioms

1. thorn in one's side / flesh, a source of continual irritation or suffering.

   That child is a thorn in the teacher's side.

Thorn ² American  

[tawrn] / tɔrn /

noun

1. German name of Toruń.

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thorn ¹ British  

/ θɔːn /

noun

1. a sharp pointed woody extension of a stem or leaf Compare prickle

2. 1. any of various trees or shrubs having thorns, esp the hawthorn

   2. the wood of any of these plants

3. short for thorn moth

4. 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

5. 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

6. zoology any of various sharp spiny parts

7. a source of irritation (esp in the phrases a thorn in one's side or flesh )

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Thorn ² British  

/ toːrn /

noun

1. the German name for Toruń

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thorn Scientific  

/ thôrn /

1. A short, hard, pointed part of a stem or branch of a woody plant.

2. Compare spine

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unthorn
  verb (used with object)
• thornless
  adjective
• thornlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• thorns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of thorn

before 900; Middle English (noun), Old English; cognate with Dutch doorn, German Dorn, Old Norse thorn, Gothic thaurnus

Explanation

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thorn Thorn thorns

“Brazil has in fact become a thorn in the side—and a problem—for U.S. foreign policy,” said Rafael Cortez, a political scientist at São Paulo-based consulting firm Tendências.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Inflated memory prices are proving a thorn in Qualcomm’s side.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 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

I pricked my finger on a thorn and winced at the pain.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

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

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

The company has further to grow, Thorn says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

“House reality is having another moment again,” said Fox TV President Michael Thorn, referring to the concept of grouping contestants under one roof for the season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026

“There are terrible witches in every coven,” said Thorn.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

A hawthorn is a shrub, often used in hedges, whose sharp thorns catch on intruders’ clothes or skin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

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

Its poisonous thorns also injure livestock, leaving them too weak to roam for food, he added.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2025

I carefully pressed the thorns off their stems with my forefinger and thumb before laying them on the cradle of her shirt.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall