Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
"THORNS" is a plural of: thorn. |
Date "THORNS" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Dream Interpretation | To dream of thorns, is an omen of dissatisfaction, and evil will surround every effort to advancement. If the thorns are hidden beneath green foliage, you prosperity will be interfered with by secret enemies. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Slang in 1811 | THORNS. To be or sit upon thorns; to be uneasy, impatient, anxious for an event. Source: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Desire | Desiderate; sigh for, cry for, gape for, gasp for, pine for, pant for, languish for, yearn for, long, be on thorns for, hope for; aspire after; catch at, grasp at, jump at. |
Fear | Verb: fear, stand in awe of; be afraid; Adjective: have qualms; Noun: apprehend, sit upon thorns, eye askance; distrust; (disbelieve). |
Pain | Sit on thorns, be on pins and needles, wince, fret, chafe, worry oneself, be in a taking, fret and fume; take on, take to heart; cark. |
Physical Pain | Verb: feel pain, experience pain, suffer pain, undergo pain. Noun: suffer, ache, smart, bleed; tingle, shoot; twinge, twitch, lancinate; writhe, wince, make a wry face; sit on thorns, sit on pins and needles. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: THORNS |
| English words defined with "THORNS": action plant ♦ barbellate, briary, briery, bristled, bristly, burred, burry, butcher bird, butcherbird ♦ cockspur hawthorn, cockspur thorn, Crataegus biltmoreana, Crataegus crus-galli ♦ ecce homo ♦ Grapple plant ♦ Honey locust tree, humble plant ♦ Inermis ♦ live-and-die, loggerhead shrike ♦ Mimosa pudica ♦ northern butcher bird ♦ prickly ♦ scarlet haw, sensitive plant, shame plant, Spiniferous, spiny ♦ Thorn broom, Thornbird, Thorn-headed, thornless, Thornset, thorny, Tinet, touch-me-not. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "THORNS": Baca, Bed of Thorns ♦ Cat's Claw ♦ Jew's Myrtle ♦ Marsham ♦ Pharisees ♦ Relics ♦ Sibyls, Sit on Thorns ♦ William. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "THORNS": Nine-killer. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Lyrics | With the thorns underneath, Love, (The Masochism Tango; performing artist: Tom Lehrer) | |
Clever | A life with love will have some thorns, but a life without love will have no roses. (references; author: unknown) Some people complain because the roses have thorns. Others give thanks because the thorns have roses. (references; author: unknown) Life is really a bed of roses. Others are just lucky to have friends to help them pick the thorns off. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Among the Thorns (1960) Thorns and Orange Blossoms (1922) Roses and Thorns (1917) Thorns of Success (1912) Roses and Thorns (1912) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books | |||
Periodicals |
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Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Crown of thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci, feeding on live coral adjacent to artificial reef. Credit: The Coral Kingdom. |  | Schooling surgeonfish -Acanthuris sandvicensis (manini or convict tang) Acanthaster planci - crown of thorns starfish on seafloor. Credit: The Coral Kingdom. |
 | A small acanthaster - this type of starfish eats coral polyps. This starfish is known as the Crown of Thorns Starfish for its long spines Reportedly toxic if stepped on. Credit: The Coral Kingdom. |  | Cows eat prickly pear cactus--seared to remove the thorns, on a ranch about 20 miles east of San Angelo, Texas. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Head of Christ crowned with thorns. Credit: Library of Congress. | ||
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
Brooks | High seats are never but uneasy, and crowns are always stuffed with thorns. |
Henry Van Dyke | The best rosebush after all, is not that which has the fewest thorns, but that which bears the finest roses. |
John Milton | A crown, golden in show is but a wreath of thorns. |
Robert Green Ingersoll | The destroyer of weeds, thistles, and thorns is a benefactor whether he soweth grain or not. |
William Penn | No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | The fungus can be found in sphagnum moss, in hay, in other plant materials, and in the soil. It enters the skin through small cuts or punctures from thorns, barbs, pine needles, or wires. (references) | |
Outbreaks have occurred among nursery workers handling sphagnum moss, rose gardeners, children playing on baled hay, and greenhouse workers handling bayberry thorns contaminated by the fungus. (references) | ||
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "THORNS" is generally used as a noun (plural) -- approximately 85.32% of the time. "THORNS" is used about 218 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (plural) | 85.32% | 186 | 22,556 |
| Noun (proper) | 14.68% | 32 | 61,292 |
| Total | 100.00% | 218 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "THORNS" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Thorns | Last name | 300 | 28,231 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
| The following table summarizes names derived from the word "THORNS". | |||
| Name | Gender | Language | Meaning |
| Abel-shittim | N/A | Biblical | Mourning of thorns |
| Shittim | N/A | Biblical | Thorns |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references.
| |||
Expressions using "THORNS": be on thorns ♦ crown of thorns ♦ sit on thorns. Additional references. | |
| Hypenated Usage | |
Ending with "THORNS": crown-of-thorns. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "THORNS"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Chinese | 荊 (brambles), 棘 . (various references) | |
French | ronces. (various references) | |
German | Dornen. (various references) | |
Hungarian | tűkön ül (to be on edge, to be on thorns, to kick one's heels, to sit on thorns, to squirm). (various references) | |
Italian | spine. (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 荊棘 (brambles). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | ばら (brambles, rose), けいきょく (brambles). (various references) | |
Manx | jilg. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | ornsthay.(various references) | |
Romanian | sta ca pe ghimpi (be on thorns, sit on thorns). (various references) | |
Russian | трудное положение (bed of thorns, tight corner), тернистый путь (bed of thorns), неприятное (bed of thorns). (various references) | |
Spanish | espinas. (various references) | |
Turkish | tedirgin olmak (be on thorns, feel uneasy about smth., sit on thorns, worry, worry at), diken üstünde oturmak (sit on thorns), diken üstünde olmak (be like a cat on hot bricks, be on tenterhooks, be on thorns, sit on pins and needles). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | кайдани (chain, gyve, irons, links, nipper, nippers). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | spina. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Matthew Chapter 13, Verse 22 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | O de eiV taV akanqaV spareiV outoV estin o ton logon akouwn kai h merimna tou aiwnoV toutou kai h apath tou ploutou sumpnigei ton logon kai akarpoV ginetai |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Qui autem est seminatus in spinis hic est qui verbum audit et sollicitudo saeculi istius et fallacia divitiarum suffocat verbum et sine fructu efficitur |
| Old English | 990 | West Saxon | Soðlice þæt þe asawen is on þornen.þæt ys se þe þæt word ge-hyrð. & þannegeornfulnisse þisse worlde. & leasunge þissereworlde welen forþresmiað. þæt word. & hit |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | But he that is sowun in thornes, is this that heerith the word, and the bisynesse of this world, and the fallace of ritchessis strangulith the word, and it is maad with outen fruyt. |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | He yt was sowne amoge thornes is he yt heareth ye worde of God: but the care of this worlde and the dissaytfulnes of ryches choke ye worde and so is he made vnfrutfull. |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | And that which was dropped among the thorns, this is he who has the word; and the cares of this life, and the deceits of wealth, put a stop to the growth of the word and it gives no fruit. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Matthew Chapter 13, Verse 22 |
| Cebuano | Ug bahin niadtong gikasabod diha sa kasampinitan, kini mao kadto ang makadungog sa pulong, apan ang mga kabalaka dinhi sa kalibutan ug ang kalipay tungod sa mga bahandi magalumos sa pulong, ug kini dili makapamunga. |
| Croatian | Zasijani u trnje - to je onaj koji sluša Rijeè, ali briga vremenita i zavodljivost bogatstva uguše Rijeè, te ona ostane bez ploda. |
| Danish | Men det, som blev sået iblandt Torne, er den, som hører Ordet, og Verdens Bekymring og Rigdommens Forførelse kvæler Ordet, og det bliver uden Frugt. |
| Dutch | En die in de doornen bezaaid is, deze is degene, die het Woord hoort; en de zorgvuldigheid dezer wereld, en de verleiding des rijkdoms verstikt het Woord, en het wordt onvruchtbaar. |
| Finnish | Mikä taas orjantappuroihin kylvettiin, on se, joka kuulee sanan, mutta tämän maailman huoli ja rikkauden viettelys tukahuttavat sanan, ja hän jää hedelmättömäksi. |
| French | Celui qui a reçu la semence parmi les épines, c`est celui qui entend la parole, mais en qui les soucis du siècle et la séduction des richesses étouffent cette parole, et la rendent infructueuse. |
| German | Das aber unter die Dornen gesät ist, das ist, wenn jemand das Wort hört, und die Sorge dieser Welt und der Betrug des Reichtums erstickt das Wort, und er bringt nicht Frucht. |
| Hungarian | A mely pedig a tövisek közé esett, ez az, a ki hallja az ígét, de e világnak gondja és a gazdagságnak csalárdsága elfojtja az ígét, és gyümölcsöt nem terem. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Benih yang jatuh di tengah-tengah semak berduri ibarat orang-orang yang mendengar kabar itu, tetapi khawatir tentang hidup mereka dan ingin hidup mewah. Karena itu kabar dari Allah terhimpit di dalam hati mereka sehingga tidak berbuah. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Maka yang tertabur di tengah semak duri itu, ialah orang yang mendengar Perkataan itu, tetapi bantutlah Perkataan itu oleh sebab percintaan dunia ini beserta segala tipu daya kekayaannya, sehingga tiada berbuah. |
| Italian | Quello seminato tra le spine è colui che ascolta la parola, ma la preoccupazione del mondo e l'inganno della ricchezza soffocano la parola ed essa non d frutto. |
| Manx Gaelic | Eshyn myrgeddin ghow yn rass mastey ny drineyn, yn fer ta clashtyn y goo: as ta kiarail y theihll shoh, as molteyrys berchys plooghey yn goo, as te cheet dy ve ne vessoil. |
| Maori | Ko te tangata i nga purapura i waenga tataramoa, ko te tangata tena i rongo ki te kupu; a, ko te whakaaronga ki tenei ao, me te hangaru o nga taonga, hei whakakowaowao i te kupu, a kore ake he hua. |
| Norwegian | Men den som blev sådd blandt torner, det er den som hører ordet, og verdens bekymring og rikdommens forførelse kveler ordet, og det blir uten frukt. |
| Portuguese | E o que foi semeado entre os espinhos, este é o que ouve a palavra; mas os cuidados deste mundo e a sedução das riquezas sufocam a palavra, e ela fica infrutífera. |
| Rumanian | Sqmknya cqzutq kntre spini, este cel ce aude Cuvkntul; dar kngrijorqrile veacului acestuia wi knwelqciunea bogqyiilor kneacq acest Cuvknt, wi ajunge neroditor. |
| Russian | б ПУЕСООПЕ Ч ФЕТОЙЙ ПЪОБЮБЕФ ФПЗП, ЛФП УМЩЫЙФ УМПЧП, ОП ЪБ'ПФБ ЧЕЛБ УЕЗП Й П'ПМШЭЕОЙЕ 'ПЗБФУФЧБ ЪБЗМХЫБЕФ УМПЧП, Й ПОП 'ЩЧБЕФ 'ЕУ МП"ОП. |
| Shuar | Arak Jankí nupanam iniaarma nuka shuar Yus-Chichaman antuk emka umirniua Núiti. Tura ju nunkanam írunna nuna tuke Páchiniak ni Kuítrincha ti Enentáimtuinia ásarmatai Ashí Yus-Chichaman Enentáimtamun Núpeteawai. Tuma asamtai nu aentsnum Yus-Chicham atsaampramu nereatsui. Yus-Chicham ni Enentáin takasma atsawai. |
| Spanish | Y el que fue sembrado en espinos, éste es el que oye la palabra, pero las preocupaciones de este mundo y el engaño de las riquezas ahogan la palabra, y queda sin fruto. |
| Swahili | Ile mbegu iliyoanguka kati ya miti ya miiba, ni mfano wa mtu asikiaye huo ujumbe, lakini wasiwasi wa ulimwengu huu na anasa za mali huusonga ujumbe huo, naye hazai matunda. |
| Swedish | Och att den såddes bland törnena, det är sagt om den som väl hör ordet, men låter tidens omsorger och rikedomens bedrägliga lockelse förkväva det, så att han bliver utan frukt. |
| Uma | "Hawua' to monawu' hi olo' rui-hawo mpobatuai tauna to mpo'epe Lolita Alata'ala, aga sese' -ra ntora mpenonoi katuwu' -ra hi rala dunia' -wadi, pai' doko' -ra mporumpu rewa dunia' -wadi. Hawe'ea toe mposesei' -ra, alaa-na uma ria po'ohaa' Lolita Alata'ala hi rala nono-ra, pai' uma ria kalaua-na Lolita toe hi katuwu' -ra. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Derivations | |
Words ending with "THORNS": althorns, bethorns, blackthorns, boxthorns, buckthorns, firethorns, hawthorns, lanthorns, shorthorns. (additional references) | |
| |
"THORNS" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: thones, thor, thoren, thorne, thoron, thurn, thurs, torns, Tornsk, tornus, tzorriss. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "THORNS" (pronounced thô"rnz) |
| 4 | -ô" r n z | adorns, corns, horns, mourns, scorns, warns. |
| 3 | -r n z | acorns, barns, bighorns, bullhorns, cairns, carns, darns, hawthorns, karns, leghorns, longhorns, Newborns, yarns. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: norths. | |
| Words within the letters "h-n-o-r-s-t" | |
-1 letter: horns, horst, north, shorn, short, snort, thorn. | |
-2 letters: hons, horn, host, hots, nosh, orts, rhos, rots, shot, snot, sorn, sort, soth, thro, tons, torn, tors, tosh. | |
-3 letters: hon, hot, noh, nor, nos, not, nth, ohs, ons, ors, ort, rho, rot, son, sot, tho, ton, tor. | |
-4 letters: ho, no, oh, on, or, os, sh, so. | |
| Words containing the letters "h-n-o-r-s-t" | |
+1 letter: hornets, hornist, rhytons, shorten, thorons, thrones, throngs. | |
+2 letters: althorns, bethorns, chantors, cothurns, honester, horniest, hornists, hornitos, northers, notchers, ornithes, shortens, shorting, southern, southron, tinhorns, torchons. | |
+3 letters: anchorets, boxthorns, buhrstone, cothurnus, dethrones, enthrones, erythrons, hartshorn, hawthorns, historian, honeworts, hornpouts, hornstone, horntails, hornworts, horsemint, ingrowths, inthrones, lanthorns, marathons, misthrown, nontruths, northeast, northerns, northings, northwest, orthicons, otherness, overhunts, senhorita, shortened, shortener, shorthand, shorthorn, shortness, southerns, southrons, stinkhorn, strongish, thermions, thornbush, thorniest, thornless, threnodes, thrombins, thyroxins, undershot, unthrones. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Modern 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Quotations: Familiar 8. Quotations: Non-fiction | 9. Usage Frequency 10. Names: Frequency 11. Names: Derived from 12. Expressions | 13. Translations: Modern 14. Translations: Ancient 15. Bible Trace 16. Derivations | 17. Rhymes 18. Anagrams 19. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
