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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

They eventually suspected that Masaya had a persistent abscess, possibly caused by an old injury from a thorn.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026

“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

Quill & Arrow, a personal injury firm that represents drivers suing over so-called “lemons” — vehicles with significant, unfixable manufacturing flaws — has long been a thorn in the side of Ford.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

While the two countries are quick to talk up their friendship, North Korea's commitment to its nuclear programme has been a thorn in the relationship.

From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026

“I think I’ve got a thorn in it.”

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

On guitar, Thorn offers a sound that can be as classic as you need it to be while immaculately executing new Whigsian concoctions.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

The safari park lost its previous bull Thorn, who fathered 29 calves over the course of his life, in 2024.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 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

Thorn Rose accepts him and everyone rejoices—but soon they all fall asleep again, suggesting that the cycle will repeat forever.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

Thorn and Valley must’ve done the same, because the next thing Seven knew, the three Witchlings were side by side, smoke rising from them as they sat up.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Besides a necklace of thorns, which draws small drops of blood, Kahlo appears to be more focused on the relief of healing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

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

“By Design” cleverly drapes its thematic thorns in ornate production design and costuming, making its emotional impact all the more deceptive.

From Salon ● Feb. 18, 2026

You’re taking a promenade in a rose garden filled with thorns — forgive my “Bridgerton” evocation.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 6, 2026

If you told me a dude John Henry’s size could squeeze through a tunnel of thorns I had to duck through, I’d laugh in your face.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia