Illustration of thistle
plural thistles
1
: any of various composite (see composite entry 1 sense 1b) flowering plants (especially genera Carduus, Cirsium, and Onopordum) that have prickles on their leaves and sometimes on their stems and often have showy heads of tubular, usually purple flowers
also
: any of various other prickly plants
2
often thistle seed plural thistle seeds
: the small black seed of a tropical African herbaceous plant (Guizotia abyssinica) used especially as a source of oil and for bird feed
Examples of thistle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Its restaurant joins the festivities with an Artichoke Gastronomic Experience, a tasting menu that incorporates the thistle into each course, including the aperitivo.
—
Naomi Tomky, AFAR Media, 3 Apr. 2025
There, the elephants browsed on whatever plant foods were available, from elm and spruce to thistles and mistletoe.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
Texas thistle: Purple spikes atop a two to six foot tall stem without branches and minimal leaves.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Mar. 2025
Globe thistle has a clumping growth habit and will persist for years, easily propagated by division of its clumps.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thistle
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Naomi Tomky, AFAR Media, 3 Apr. 2025
There, the elephants browsed on whatever plant foods were available, from elm and spruce to thistles and mistletoe.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
Texas thistle: Purple spikes atop a two to six foot tall stem without branches and minimal leaves.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Mar. 2025
Globe thistle has a clumping growth habit and will persist for years, easily propagated by division of its clumps.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thistle
Cite this Entry
“Thistle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thistle. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thistle
noun
this·tle
ˈthis-əl 
: any of various prickly plants related to the daisies and having often showy heads of mostly tubular flowers
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