thistle

noun

this·​tle ˈthi-səl 

plural thistles

1

: any of various composite (see composite entry 1 sense 1b) flowering plants (especially genera Carduus, Cirsium, and Onopordum) that have prickles on their leaves and sometimes on their stems and often have showy heads of tubular, usually purple flowers

also : any of various other prickly plants

2

often thistle seed plural thistle seeds : the small black seed of a tropical African herbaceous plant (Guizotia abyssinica) used especially as a source of oil and for bird feed

thistly

ˈthi-s(ə-)lē 

adjective

Illustration of thistle

Examples of thistle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Botanical knowledge was passed on in verse, which is easier to remember, so a gardener knew to place raspberries next to roses, that September was the best time to transplant gooseberries and currants, and that sowing edible weeds like fat hen and thistle between the crops serves as a living mulch. —Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026

Andreeva’s dress, in sapphire and light thistle, is the perfect blend of sporty elegance. —Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026

For a real birdwatching activity, fill a seed bag with thistle and watch flocks of them dart around the feeder and feast with fervor. —Kier Holmes, Martha Stewart, 18 Jan. 2026

For example, finches love thistle or nyjer seed in a hanging thistle sock, or a cylinder feeder with fine mesh designed to hold small seeds, says Grant. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English thistel, from Old English; akin to Old High German distill thistle

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing thistle

• bull thistle
• Canada thistle
• globe thistle
• milk thistle
• musk thistle
• Russian thistle
• sow thistle
• star thistle
• thistle tube

Rhymes for thistle

• abyssal
• dismissal
• epistle
• bristle
• fissile
• gristle
• missal
• missile
• nissl
• whistle

Kids Definition

thistle

noun

this·​tle ˈthis-əl 

: any of various prickly plants related to the daisies and having often showy heads of mostly tubular flowers

thistly

ˈthis-(ə-)lē 

adjective