acanthus

noun

acan·​thus ə-ˈkan(t)-thəs 

plural acanthus

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

Illustration of acanthus

• acanthus 2

Examples of acanthus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Corinthian columns, with their acanthus leaves and richer ornament, signal display, monumentality, and theatrical grandeur. — Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 6 May 2026

While vintage-looking grandmillennial floral wallpapers can be pleasantly old-timey, avoid damask and acanthus leaf patterns at all costs. — Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026

Visitors to the British galleries can climb the stairs, with their intricate carvings of acanthus foliage, oak leaves and other vegetation, to inspect a new mezzanine area. — Peter Saenger, WSJ, 23 Jan. 2020

Hillsides of unruly acanthus — nature's template for Corinthian columns — precede the Domus Augustana. — Washington Post, 12 July 2019

Instead of angels and saints, there were soldiers beheading one another; instead of Madonnas and Christs, there were pregnant women sprouting from acanthus buds. — Junot Díaz, The New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2018

The acanthus leaves on the column have remained consistent over millennia and, over time, have come to represent more than just a sturdy plant. — Phil Edwards, Vox, 28 Mar. 2018

The bezels on each center stone are composed of acanthus leaves sculpted in gold. — Stellene Volandes, Town & Country, 6 Mar. 2018

The native black walnut, darkened with lamp black and oiled with linseed oil, was carved with life-like birds, flowers and acanthus leaves that can be seen on so much of their work. — Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati.com, 5 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin, borrowed from Greek ákanthos, a plant of the genus Acanthus (as A. mollis or A. spinosus), masculine derivative of ákanthă "thorn, prickle, thorny plant, spine (of a fish), backbone," probably of pre-Greek substratal origin

First Known Use

1551, in the meaning defined at sense 1