Definitions from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

[ English

[ Alternative spellings

• þorn, þ (letter of the alphabet)

[ Etymology

Middle English þorn and Old English þorn, from common Germanic *thurn(u)-, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ter-n- "sharp stalk or thorn", possibly derived from *ster- "stiff". Near cognates include German Dorn and Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽𐌿𐍃 (þaurnus). Further cognates include Old Church Slavonic трънъ (trŭnŭ) "thorn" and Sanskrit तृण (tṛṇa) "grass".

[ Pronunciation

•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

  Rhymes: -ɔː(r)n

•  Audio (UK)^{help, file}

[ Noun

thorn (plural thorns)

1. A sharp protective spine of a plant.
2. A letter of the Latin alphabet (capital: Þ, small: þ), borrowed by Old English from the futhark to represent a dental fricative, then not distinguished from eth, but in modern use (in Icelandic and other languages, but no longer in English) used only for the voiceless dental fricative found in English thigh
   • See also Etymology of ye (definite article).

[ Derived terms

[ Translations

[ See also

• eth, edh, eð, ð
• wynn, wen, ƿ
• ᚦ