Illustration of thistle
: any of various prickly composite plants (especially genera Carduus, Cirsium, and Onopordum) with often showy heads of mostly tubular flowers
also
: any of various other prickly plants
Examples of thistle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Residents in those states looking to help native pollinators can join their local Bumble Bee Atlas chapter or fill their gardens with native flowers such as thistles, milkweed, sunflowers and rabbitbrush to provide more food to these busy bees.
—
Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2024
Use it on thistles, crabgrass, dandelions, and more.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2024
The war has displaced some 100,000 people in the south and forced farmers to leave their land untended, with leaves layered eight inches deep and crops crowded by neck-high thistles — all ready fuel for any conflagration.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2024
The one real road is banked with thistles five feet high.
—Antonia Quirke, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for thistle 
Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2024
Use it on thistles, crabgrass, dandelions, and more.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2024
The war has displaced some 100,000 people in the south and forced farmers to leave their land untended, with leaves layered eight inches deep and crops crowded by neck-high thistles — all ready fuel for any conflagration.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2024
The one real road is banked with thistles five feet high.
—Antonia Quirke, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for thistle
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Cite this Entry
“Thistle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thistle. Accessed 14 Jul. 2024.
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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