thistledown

noun

this·​tle·​down ˈthi-səl-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce thistledown (audio)
: the typically plumose pappus from the ripe flower head of a thistle

Examples of thistledown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So that the old terror, of exclusion — or abandonment perhaps — didn’t trouble us, any more than the thistledown troubled us whirling softly off the vegetation by the water. New York Times, 19 Apr. 2022 But for now, a cold April’s closing moments parachute slowly home, so by mid-afternoon snow is recast as seed heads and thistledown. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 9 Apr. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thistledown was in 1561

Dictionary Entries Near thistledown

Cite this Entry

“Thistledown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thistledown. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

thistledown

noun
this·​tle·​down ˈthis-əl-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce thistledown (audio)
: the mass of seed-carrying fluffy bristles from the ripe flower head of a thistle

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