ˈthisəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English thistel, from Old English; akin to Old High German distil thistle, Old Norse thistill, and perhaps to Sanskrit tejate it is sharp — more at stick
1.
a.
(1) : any of various prickly plants of the family Compositae and especially of the genera Carduus, Cirsium, and Onopordon that are often segregated in the separate family Carduaceae — see scotch thistle
(2) : any of various similar plants of other sections of the family Compositae — see sow thistle
b. : any of various prickly plants of families other than Compositae — usually used with a qualifying adjective; see russian thistle
2. usually capitalized : membership in the Scottish Order of the Thistle
3. : cobalt violet 2
[s]thistle.jpg[/s]