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thorn |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Idioms, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.21 sec. |
thorn, in botanythorn, sharp-pointed projection on some plants, usually protective in function. Botanically, thorns are distinguished as modified stems (as in the honey locust and hawthorn) from spines, which are modified leaves (as in the barberry), and from prickles, which are epidermal outgrowths of the bark (as in the rose and blackberry). Cacti have both thorns and spines.Thorn, German name for Toruń, PolandThorn: see Toruń Toruń (tô`r nyə), Ger. Thorn, city (1993 est. pop...... Click the link for more information. , Poland. thorn 1. a sharp pointed woody extension of a stem or leaf 2. a. any of various trees or shrubs having thorns, esp the hawthorn b. the wood of any of these plants 3. 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 4. this same character as used in Old and Middle English as an alternative to edh, but indistinguishable from it in function or sound 5. Zoology any of various sharp spiny parts thorn the messenger of Satan. [N.T.: II Corinthians 12:7] See : Messenger How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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All night long you must sing to me, and the thorn must pierce your heart, and your life-blood must flow into my veins, and become mine. As he came near, the Lion put out his paw, which was all swollen and bleeding, and Androcles found that a huge thorn had got into it, and was causing all the pain. And she pressed the thorn-bush to her breast, so firmly, that it might be thoroughly warmed, and the thorns went right into her flesh, and her blood flowed in large drops, but the thornbush shot forth fresh green leaves, and there came flowers on it in the cold winter night, the heart of the afflicted mother was so warm; and the thorn-bush told her the way she should go. |
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