thorn

• Nom désignant une excroissance pointue et acérée sur la tige ou la feuille d'une plante, ou toute chose qui irrite ou cause du souci ; désigne aussi la rune germanique de l'épine.

A noun referring to a sharp, pointed projection on a plant stem or leaf, or something that causes irritation or annoyance; also denotes a Germanic runic character.

1. Sharp plant partA2formal

   A small, sharp, pointed growth on the stem or leaf of a plant, such as a rose bush.

   Épine

   • She pricked her finger on a rose thorn.
   • The cactus is covered in sharp thorns.
   • Be careful of the thorns when picking blackberries.

   Synonymesbarbneedlepricklespikespine

2. Source of annoyanceB2informal

   A person or thing that causes persistent irritation, trouble, or difficulty.

   Source de tracas

   • He has been a thorn in my side since we started working together.
   • The constant delays were a thorn in the project manager's side.
   • That unresolved issue remains a thorn in our relationship.

   Synonymesannoyancebaneirritantnuisancepestplaguetormenttrouble

3. Runic letterC2formalbritish

   A letter in the Old English and Old Norse alphabets, representing the 'th' sound (like in 'thin' or 'that').

   Thorn (lettre runique)

   • The letter 'thorn' (þ) was used in Old English manuscripts.
   • In runic inscriptions, the thorn symbol appears frequently.
   • The word 'the' was sometimes written with a thorn in medieval texts.