this·tle [thistlethistles] BrE [ˈθɪsl] NAmE [ˈθɪsl] noun a wild plant with leaves with sharp points and purple, yellow or white flowers made up of a mass of narrow ↑petals pointing upwards. The thistle is the national symbol of Scotland.
Word Origin: Old English thistel, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch distel and German Distel.
