nettle
nettle
Definition
net·tle (net′'l)
noun
- any of a genus (Urtica) of annual and perennial weeds of the nettle family with stinging hairs
- any of various other stinging or spiny plants
Etymology: ME netle < OE netele, akin to Ger nessel < IE base *ned-, to twist together > net: from the use of such plants as a source of spinning fiber
adjective
designating a family (Urticaceae, order Urticales) of chiefly tropical, dicotyledonous plants usually covered with stinging hairs, including the ramie
transitive verb -·tled, -·tling
- to sting with or as with nettles
- to irritate; annoy; vex
net′·tler noun
nettle
Synonyms
nettle
Usage Examples
Preposition: of
- reform: It is time to grasp fully the nettle of reform.
Converse of subject
- sting: Joe needs some new trousers, tho, he was wearing shorts and got stung by nettles!
Converse of object
- grasp: Nowhere in the country has been faster to grasp the biotech nettle than Dundee.
- dry: The dried nettles may well benefit from being left for a while in a mixture of cream and nettle water.
- eat: My advice is to go eat a nettle raw or something, it'll be more interesting.
- include: You just need brightly colored flowers, with a good mix between cultivated and wild flowers, including nettles and thistles.
- use: CAUTION: Do not use flowering nettle for food or medicine.
- sting: Along here we feasted on blackberries, Tammy on the lower ones, whilst the nettles stung our legs reaching the high branches!
Adjective modifier
- stinging: I'd much prefer fresh stinging nettles any day!
- tall: Then, with a deft swing he sent him crashing into a clump of tall nettles, which closed receptively round him.
- dead: Who hasn't sucked the nectar from the flower of the dead nettle?
- common: The regular trampling of cattle can wipe out common nettle.
- young: Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with jacket potatoes and steamed young stinging nettles.
- particular: If the Tories do not grasp this particular nettle then they will slide into oblivion like The Whigs before them.
Modifies a noun
- rash: She has a kind of nettle rash on her back.
- sting: The beginner can rest assured, however that the fear of nettle stings is always far worse than the actual sting.
- infusion: Stinging nettle infusion replaces the nutrients and proteins that Kundalini uses up.
- soup: I seem to remember an attempt at nettle soup was a failure to be polite!
- leaf: The larvae usually spin a web on the upper surface of the nettle leaf which draws the leaf into a folded shelter.
- patch: Garden nettle patch survey Have you got your own nettle patch?
Browse dictionary entries near nettle
- netting
- Nettie
- netted
- netsuke
- Netscape Navigator
- Netscape Communicator
- NetProwler Agent
- Netmasks
- netlike
- netherworld
