nettle

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noun net·tle \ ˈne-tᵊl \

Definition of nettle

1 :any of a genus (Urtica of the family Urticaceae, the nettle family) of chiefly coarse herbs armed with stinging hairs

… legs, which smarted from the stings of nettles …
—James Stephens

2 :any of various prickly or stinging plants other than the true nettles (genus Urtica)

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nettle was our Word of the Day on 01/17/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of nettle from the Web

In those plots, every third row is left unplowed so that tractors have a path for spraying biodynamic preparations made of ingredients like ground quartz and stinging nettles.

— eric asimov, New York Times, "Bordeaux Estate Makes Fine Wines Naturally," 16 June 2017
And no one need wait for asparagus to give the sign that spring has arrived: The Northwest has stinging nettle as its siren — miner’s lettuce and wild watercress, too.

— rebekah denn, The Seattle Times, "Kim O’Donnel discovers the joys of ‘PNW Veg’," 14 June 2017
Behind the hotel several cars, one tireless and up on blocks, rested among dry nettles and wild oats.

— karen schoemer, New York Times, "In California, Finding ‘Fat City’ With the Man Who Wrote It," 30 May 2017
This fascinating meal’s most memorable composition was a chlorophyll- and umami-rich flamed mackerel with nettles, green peas and ’nduja, the soft spicy Calabrian sausage.

— alexander lobrano, New York Times, "In Copenhagen, New Nordic Meets Old Italian," 19 May 2017
While Sapp’s original flavor does not have additives except less than 1 percent of citric acid, the company offers birch water flavored with nettle and rose hip, which respectively support kidney functioning and the immune system.

— jeremy mikula, star-telegram.com, "Should we all be drinking birch water?," 10 May 2017
The combination of elderflower, milk thistle, nettle and astragalus is said to lessen the symptoms of altitude sickness.

— christopher elliott, chicagotribune.com, "How to alleviate altitude sickness while traveling in the mountains," 5 May 2017
Lamb stew with butternut squash spaetzle, shimeji mushrooms, nettles and pea shoots held the promise of spring.

— providence cicero, The Seattle Times, "Destination Dining: Mana Restaurant lets nature take its courses," 3 May 2017
In Asia, researchers just proved that eDNA can also be employed to study jellyfish like the Japanese sea nettle.

— jason bittel, Smithsonian, "How Scientists Use Teeny Bits of Leftover DNA to Solve Wildlife Mysteries," 25 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nettle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of nettle

Origin and Etymology of nettle

Middle English, from Old English netel; akin to Old High German nazza nettle, Greek adikē

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Other Seed Plant Terms

aubergine, box, bramble, briar, composite, perpetual, pulse, trefoil

nettle

verb

Definition of nettle

nettled; nettling play \ˈnet-liŋ, ˈne-tᵊl-iŋ\

transitive verb

1 :to strike or sting with or as if with nettles

2 :to arouse to sharp but transitory annoyance or anger

See nettle defined for English-language learners

Examples of nettle in a Sentence

The mayor's recent actions have nettled some members of the community.
It nettles him that his younger coworker got a promotion before he did.

Recent Examples of nettle from the Web

As a presidential candidate, Mr. Sanders nettled some Jews by making a campaign appearance on Rosh Hashana, a day most Jews take off from work, at Liberty University, an evangelical college in Virginia founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell.

— joseph berger, New York Times, "Bernie Sanders Is Jewish, but He Doesn’t Like to Talk About It," 24 Feb. 2016

Did You Know?

If you've ever brushed against nettles, you know those weeds have sharp bristles that can leave you smarting and itching. The painful and irritating rash that nettles cause can last for days, but at least it is a rash with a linguistic silver lining. The discomfort caused by nettles can serve to remind one that the verb "nettle" is a synonym of "irritate." "Nettle" originated as a plant name that we can trace to the Old English word netel. Eventually, people likened the nagging itch caused by the plant to the nagging aggravation of being annoyed, and "nettle" became a synonym of "vex," "peeve," and of course "irritate."

Origin and Etymology of nettle

see ¹nettle

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

nettle Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of nettle

irritate, exasperate, nettle, provoke, rile, peeve mean to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance. irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage.

- constant nagging that irritated me greatly

exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience.

- his exasperating habit of putting off needed decisions

nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging.

- your pompous attitude nettled several people

provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action.

- remarks made solely to provoke her

rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation.

- the new work schedules riled the employees

peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation.

- a toddler peeved at being refused a cookie

Other Seed Plant Terms

aubergine, box, bramble, briar, composite, perpetual, pulse, trefoil

NETTLE Defined for English Language Learners

nettle

play

noun

Definition of nettle for English Language Learners

: a tall plant that has leaves with hairs that sting you if you touch them

nettle

verb

Definition of nettle for English Language Learners

: to make (someone) angry

NETTLE Defined for Kids

nettle

play

noun net·tle \ ˈne-tᵊl \

Definition of nettle for Students

:a tall plant with hairs on the leaves that when touched can cause a painful skin rash

Medical Dictionary

nettle

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noun net·tle \ ˈnet-ᵊl \

medical Definition of nettle

1 :any plant of the genus Urtica (family Urticaceae, the nettle family)

2 :any of various prickly or stinging plants other than one of the genus Urtica

Learn More about nettle

See words that rhyme with nettle Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for nettle Spanish Central: Translation of nettle Nglish: Translation of nettle for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nettle

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nettle was our Word of the Day on 01/17/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of nettle from the Web

Illustration of nettle

Origin and Etymology of nettle

Other Seed Plant Terms

nettle

Definition of nettle

Examples of nettle in a Sentence

Recent Examples of nettle from the Web

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Origin and Etymology of nettle

nettle Synonyms

Synonyms

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Synonym Discussion of nettle

Other Seed Plant Terms

NETTLE Defined for English Language Learners

nettle

Definition of nettle for English Language Learners

nettle

Definition of nettle for English Language Learners

NETTLE Defined for Kids

nettle

Definition of nettle for Students

Medical Dictionary

nettle

medical Definition of nettle

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