noun
pl. -·thuses or -·thi·- any of a genus (Acanthus) of thistlelike plants of the acanthus family with lobed, often spiny leaves and long spikes of white or colored flowers, found in the Mediterranean region
- Archit. a motif or conventional representation of the leaf of this plant, used esp. on the capitals of Corinthian columns
Origin of acanthus
Modern Latin from Classical Latin from Classical Greek akanthos: see acantho- designating a family (Acanthaceae, order Scrophulariales) of dicotyledonous plants, including bear's-breech
