Thistly
/ˈθɪs.tli/noun
Covered with, resembling, or full of thistles; prickly or rough.
Did you know?The word descends from Old English *þistel*, and its thorny image is so old that related forms appear across Germanic languages, all pointing to a plant associated with sharpness and hardship.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*teik-
“to sharpen, prick, or cut”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*þistilaz
“thistle”
Old English
OE
þistel
“thistle”
Middle English
ME
thistly
“full of thistles; prickly”
Modern English
English
thistly
“covered with or resembling thistles; rough and prickly”