Added 9 October 2026
thorn
/θɔːn/ noun
In Latin: spīna Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about thorn at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Something that causes irritation and annoyance.
he's a thorn in my flesh
- A small sharp-pointed tip resembling a spike on a stem or leaf.
- A Germanic character of runic origin.
Origin
From Middle English thorn, þorn, from Old English þorn, from Proto-West Germanic *þorn, from Proto-Germanic *þurnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥nós, from *(s)ter- (“stiff”). Cognates Near cognates include West Frisian toarn, Low German Doorn, Dutch doorn, German Dorn, Danish and Norwegian torn, Swedish torn, törne, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽𐌿𐍃 (þaurnus). Further cognates include Old Church Slavonic трънъ (trŭnŭ, “thorn”), Russian тёрн (tjorn), Polish cierń, Kamkata-viri taňi, tai (“thorn”), Sanskrit तृण (tṛ́ṇa, “grass”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)