I. net ‧ tle 1 /ˈnetl/ BrE AmE ( also stinging nettle ) noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: netel ]
a wild plant with rough leaves that sting you
⇨ grasp the nettle at ↑ grasp 1 (4), ⇨ ↑ stinging nettle
II. nettle 2 BrE AmE verb
be nettled (by something) informal to be annoyed by what someone says or does:
She was nettled by Holman’s remark.