Thyrse
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A type of inflorescence; a compact panicle having an obscured main axis and cymose subaxes.
"The Thyrsus *, or Thyrse, is a mode of inflorescence very nearly allied to the panicle, being, in fact, a panicle contracted into an ovate, or egg-shaped form. In the thyrse, the middle footstalks, which are longer, extend horizontally, whilst the upper and lower oes are shorter, and rise up vertically."
- 2 a dense flower cluster (as of the lilac or horse chestnut) in which the main axis is racemose and the branches are cymose wordnet
- 3 A thyrsus (staff with conical ornament). archaic
Example
More examples"The Thyrsus *, or Thyrse, is a mode of inflorescence very nearly allied to the panicle, being, in fact, a panicle contracted into an ovate, or egg-shaped form. In the thyrse, the middle footstalks, which are longer, extend horizontally, whilst the upper and lower oes are shorter, and rise up vertically."
Etymology
From Middle French thyrse, from Latin thyrsus, from Ancient Greek θύρσος (thúrsos). Doublet of thyrsus, torse, and torso.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.