Illustration of thistle
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
Examples of thistle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Weed pollen from ragweed, thistle, sagebrush, and mugwort typically peaks later in summer and early fall, with the highest weed pollen levels expected across the Rockies this year.
—
Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 4 Mar. 2026
Later in summer and into early fall, weed pollen from ragweed, sagebrush, and thistle will take over.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
The florist-by-trade gestures behind her to hundreds of flowers contained in buckets — blue thistles, ivory anemones and calla lilies painted silver — all twisted and unfurling into the air.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
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
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Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 4 Mar. 2026
Later in summer and into early fall, weed pollen from ragweed, sagebrush, and thistle will take over.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
The florist-by-trade gestures behind her to hundreds of flowers contained in buckets — blue thistles, ivory anemones and calla lilies painted silver — all twisted and unfurling into the air.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for thistle
Cite this Entry
“Thistle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thistle. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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