nettle

Urtica dioica

Meanings

Noun

  • Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.
  • Certain plants that have spines or prickles:
  • Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:
  • Loosely, anything which causes a similarly stinging rash, such as a jellyfish or sea nettle.

Verb

  • Of the nettle plant and similar physical causes, to sting, causing a rash in someone.
  • To pique, irritate, vex or provoke.

Origin

  • From Middle English netle, netel, from Old English netle, netele, netel, from Proto-West Germanic *natilu (cognate with Old Saxon netila, Middle Dutch netele (modern Dutch netel), German Nessel, Middle Danish nædlæ ("nettle")), a diminutive of Proto-Germanic *natǭ (of unknown origin, perhaps from the same source as net).

Modern English dictionary

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