Main Entry: acan·thus

Pronunciation: \ə-ˈkan(t)-thəs\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural acanthus

Etymology: New Latin, genus name, from Greek akanthos, an acanthus, from akantha thorn

Date: 1551

1 : any of a genus (Acanthus of the family Acanthaceae, the acanthus family) of prickly perennial herbs chiefly of the Mediterranean region
2 : an ornamentation (as in a Corinthian capital) representing or suggesting the leaves of the acanthus

[acanthus illustration]