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Nettle

/[ˈnɛɾʊl]/ noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.; Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, stinging nettles:; Most, but not all, subspecies of Urtica dioica (common nettle),
  2. 2
    any of numerous plants having stinging hairs that cause skin irritation on contact (especially of the genus Urtica or family Urticaceae) wordnet
  3. 3
    Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.; Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, stinging nettles:; Urtica incisa (Australian nettle);
  4. 4
    Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.; Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis);
  5. 5
    Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.; Bull nettles and spurge nettles (Cnidoscolus spp.):; bull nettle, spurge nettle (Cnidoscolus stimulosus)
Show 20 more definitions
  1. 6
    Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.; Bull nettles and spurge nettles (Cnidoscolus spp.):; Texas bull nettle (Cnidoscolus texanus),
  2. 7
    Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.; Bull nettles and spurge nettles (Cnidoscolus spp.):; bull nettle (Cnidoscolus urens),
  3. 8
    Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.; Nettle trees or tree nettles:; Various species of the genus Dendrocnide
  4. 9
    Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.; Nettle trees or tree nettles:; Various species of the genus Dendrocnide:; small-leaved nettle (Dendrocnide photinophylla).
  5. 10
    Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.; Nettle trees or tree nettles:; scratchbush (Urera baccifera)
  6. 11
    Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.; Nettle trees or tree nettles:; tree nettle (Urtica ferox);
  7. 12
    Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.; rock nettle (Eucnide spp.);
  8. 13
    Certain plants that have spines or prickles:; ball nettle (Solanum carolinense);
  9. 14
    Certain plants that have spines or prickles:; bull nettle, silver-leaf nettle, white horse-nettle (Solanum elaeagnifolium);
  10. 15
    Certain plants that have spines or prickles:; western horse-nettle, robust horse-nettle (Solanum dimidiatum);
  11. 16
    Certain plants that have spines or prickles:; horse-nettle (Solanum rostratum);
  12. 17
    Certain plants that have spines or prickles:; hackberry (Celtis spp.).
  13. 18
    Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:; dead nettle, dumb nettle (Lamium spp.), particularly Lamium album, white nettle;
  14. 19
    Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:; false nettle (Boehmeria spp., family Urticaceae);
  15. 20
    Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:; flame nettle or painted nettle (Coleus spp.);
  16. 21
    Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:; hedge nettle (Stachys spp.);
  17. 22
    Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:; hemp nettle (Galeopsis spp.);
  18. 23
    Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:; horse nettle Agastache urticifolia,
  19. 24
    Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:; nilgiri nettle, Himalayan giant nettle (Girardinia diversifolia, family Urticaceae).
  20. 25
    Loosely, anything which causes a similarly stinging rash, such as a jellyfish or sea nettle.
Verb
  1. 1
    Of the nettle plant and similar physical causes, to sting, causing a rash in someone. transitive

    "The children were badly nettled after playing in the field."

  2. 2
    cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations wordnet
  3. 3
    To pique, irritate, vex or provoke. figuratively, transitive

    "[T]his is no lavv unto the vvoof of the neat Retiarie Spider, vvhich ſeems to vveave vvithout tranſverſion, and by the union of right lines to make out a continued ſurface, vvhich is beyond the common art of Textury, and may ſtill nettle Minerva the Godeſſe of that myſtery."

  4. 4
    sting with or as with nettles and cause a stinging pain or sensation wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English netle, netel, from Old English netle, netele, netel, from Proto-West Germanic *natilā (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).

Etymology 2

From Middle English netle, netel, from Old English netle, netele, netel, from Proto-West Germanic *natilā (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).

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