Word
thorn
Phoneticsthorn
US/ˈθɔɹn/
UK/θˈɔːn/
Definitions
01sharp plant part
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Science
n. a sharp, pointed part that grows on the stem of a plant, like a rose.
n. a sharp-pointed woody projection on the stem or leaf of a plant, technically a modified branch or leaf.
日本語:とげ※
“Be careful when you pick the roses because they have sharp thorns.”
“The desert shrubs have evolved long thorns to protect their water-rich stems from hungry animals.”
02a source of trouble
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a person or thing that causes constant problems or annoyance.
n. a persistent source of irritation, annoyance, or difficulty; frequently used in the idiom 'a thorn in one's side'.
“The new tax law has been a thorn in the side of small business owners.”
“The investigative journalist remained a constant thorn in the administration's side, regularly exposing corruption in the local government.”
03the letter Þ
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Technical
n. an old letter used in English long ago, and still used in Icelandic, to make the 'th' sound.
n. a character (Þ, þ) used in Old English and modern Icelandic to represent dental fricatives.
“In Old English manuscripts, you will often see the letter thorn instead of 'th'.”
“Linguists note that the letter thorn was eventually replaced by the 'th' digraph in Middle English due to the influence of continental scribes.”
Usage
Commonly appears in the idiom 'a thorn in someone's side' to describe a constant annoyance.
Real-World Examples
“From the start, the English colonists of North America proved to be a thorn in the side of the government.” “You gotta get past the thorns to get to the beautiful rose.” Idioms
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/thorn
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0