crown of thorns

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English

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Etymology

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Calque of Latin spinea corona, itself a calque of Hellenistic Ancient Greek ἀκάνθινος στέφανος (akánthinos stéphanos).

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˌkɹaʊn əv ˈθɔːnz/

Noun

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crown of thorns (plural crowns of thorns)

  1. (Christianity) 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. [from 10th c.]
  2. A spiny Mediterranean tree, Ziziphus spina-christi. [from 19th c.]
  3. A spiny spurge, Euphorbia milii, native to Madagascar. [from 19th c.]
  4. The plant Koeberlinia spinosa.
  5. A large starfish with venemous spines, Acanthaster planci. [from 20th c.]
  6. A woodworking technique, used in tramp art, in which interlocking pieces are notched to intersect at right angles and form joints and self-supporting objects.

Translations

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Further reading

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