crown of thorns

Meaning

Noun

• The crown made of a thorny plant that Christ was forced to wear before his Crucifixion, in mocking reference to his alleged status as ‘king of the Jews’, or a representation of this.
• A spiny Mediterranean tree, Ziziphus spina-christi (species).
• A spiny spurge, Euphorbia milii (species), native to Madagascar.
• A large starfish with venemous spines, Acanthaster planci (species).

Origin

• From crown + of + (plural form of) thorn, translating Latin spinea corona, itself translating Hellenistic Ancient Greek ἀκάνθινος στέφανος.