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thorn in one's side

thorn
T t

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [thawrn]
    • /θɔrn ɪn wʌnz saɪd/
    • /θɔːn ɪn wʌnz saɪd/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [thawrn]
    • /θɔrn ɪn wʌnz saɪd/

Definitions of thorn in one's side words

  • noun thorn in one's side a sharp excrescence on a plant, especially a sharp-pointed aborted branch; spine; prickle. 1
  • noun thorn in one's side any of various thorny shrubs or trees, especially the hawthorns belonging to the genus Crataegus, of the rose family. 1
  • noun thorn in one's side the wood of any of these trees. 1
  • noun thorn in one's side a runic character (þ), borrowed into the Latin alphabet and representing the initial th sounds in thin and they in Old English, or thin in modern Icelandic. 1
  • noun thorn in one's side something that wounds, annoys, or causes discomfort. 1
  • verb with object thorn in one's side to prick with a thorn; vex. 1
See all 7 definitions of thorn in one's side

Information block about the term

Origin of thorn in one's side

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English (noun), Old English; cognate with Dutch doorn, German Dorn, Old Norse thorn, Gothic thaurnus

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Thorn in one's side

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Thorn in one's side

thorn in one's side popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 93% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

Synonyms for thorn in one's side

noun thorn in one's side

  • burden — If you describe a problem or a responsibility as a burden, you mean that it causes someone a lot of difficulty, worry, or hard work.
  • deadweight — (of a shot) leaving the other balls in the ideal position
  • millstone — either of a pair of circular stones between which grain or another substance is ground, as in a mill.
  • monkey on one's back — any mammal of the order Primates, including the guenons, macaques, langurs, and capuchins, but excluding humans, the anthropoid apes, and, usually, the tarsier and prosimians. Compare New World monkey, Old World monkey.
  • encumbrance — A burden or impediment.
All 6 Synonyms of thorn in one's side

See also

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