wood-thistle

English

Alternative forms

• woodthistle, wood thistle

Etymology

From Middle English wodethystyll, wodþistel, from Old English wuduþistel, equivalent to wood +‎ thistle.

Noun

wood-thistle (plural wood-thistles)

1. (botany) Synonym of tall thistle (Carduus altissimus, a.k.a. Cirsium altissimus)
   • 2005, Paul Stewart, Chris Riddell, The Curse of the Gloamglozer, page 62:

     Within seconds the whole lot had taken on the appearance of a woodthistle's fluffy seedhead.