nettle

net·tle | \ ˈne-tᵊl

How to pronounce nettle (audio)

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Definition of nettle

(Entry 1 of 2)

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)

nettle

nettled; nettling\ ˈnet-liŋ

How to pronounce nettling (audio)

, ˈne-tᵊl-iŋ \

Definition of nettle (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

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

2 : to arouse to sharp but transitory annoyance or anger

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about nettle

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Choose the Right Synonym for nettle

Verb

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

Did You Know?

Verb

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."

Examples of nettle in a Sentence

Verb 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 on the Web: Noun Wild greens such as fiddlehead, fireweed, nettle, seaweed and sourdock are also high in fiber. — Anchorage Daily News, "Colon cancer in Alaska: Common and completely preventable," 3 Sep. 2019 In total 3,000 nettle plants were reportedly harvested for the project to make the 10-piece collection, which will be shown at London Fashion Week later this month. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Prince Charles Teams Up with Designers on a Sustainable Fashion Line Made Out of Nettles," 3 Sep. 2019 As the designers had already been experimenting with making fabric out of cow parsley, nettles were the next logical step. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Prince Charles Branches Out Into Sustainable Fashion with Dresses Made from Nettles," 1 Sep. 2019 The menu offers antipasti (order the escarole in Gorgonzola dolce topped with fuyu persimmon), pizza like the wild nettle, ricotta della casa, and lemon, and handmade pappardelle with venison sugo. — Jenna Scatena, Condé Nast Traveler, "32 Best Restaurants in San Francisco," 1 Mar. 2018 There's a course with smoked lake fish, cattails, wild rice dumplings, watercress and nettles. — Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, "Award-winning Native American chef coming to Zingerman's for indigenous dinner, discussion," 25 July 2019 Even the village graveyard, set on the other side of the valley, is slowly receding into an undergrowth of nettles and brambles, grass flowers and cow parsley. — New York Times, "And Then There Was One: Three People Lived in This Village Until Two Were Murdered.," 15 July 2019 But do younger generations really aspire to murder the clover, the wild violet, the dead nettle and the dandelions in the name of impressing their neighbors? — Jennifer Chesak, Twin Cities, "Jennifer Chesak: My dad obsesses over his lawn. I ripped mine up.," 14 June 2019 The Ramie moth is laying its eggs on several plants in the nettles family, such as mamaki and akolea. — USA TODAY, "Black Hills yaks, serious senioritis on campus, Pony Express: News from around our 50 states," 10 June 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The pastrami dog is on the lunch menu and only nettling the dining room between 11 AM and 9 PM each day. — Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, "At 3 Squares Diner there’s a dog that won’t bark," 12 July 2018 Questions about alternative facts and relative truths have been nettling me for decades. — Errol Morris, Time, "Why Donald Trump Can't Kill the Truth," 22 May 2018 Shame nettles over Rae’s skull like a tight red cap. — Karen Russell, The New Yorker, "Orange World," 4 June 2017 What nettled him was the news media’s unquestioning reiteration of that claim. — Margalit Fox, New York Times, "Naomi Parker Fraley, the Real Rosie the Riveter, Dies at 96," 22 Jan. 2018 Gorsuch is a pale imitation of his predecessor, boasting a bratty attitude that has nettled justices across the ideological spectrum. — Mark Joseph Stern, Slate Magazine, "Why rumors of a Gorsuch–Kagan clash at the Supreme Court are such a bombshell.," 18 Oct. 2017 Worries about the health of the long-term-care insurance industry have nettled investors for years. — Leslie Scism, WSJ, "General Electric Has a Long-Term Care Problem. It Isn’t Alone," 23 Oct. 2017 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

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.

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Dictionary Entries near nettle

nettle butterfly

Statistics for nettle

Last Updated

17 Oct 2019

Time Traveler for nettle

The first known use of nettle was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for nettle

nettle

noun

English Language Learners Definition of nettle

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

nettle

verb

English Language Learners Definition of nettle (Entry 2 of 2)

: to make (someone) angry

See the full definition for nettle in the English Language Learners Dictionary

nettle

net·tle | \ ˈne-tᵊl

\

Kids Definition of nettle

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

nettle

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

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