nettle

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English[edit]

Urtica dioica
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Wikispecies

Etymology[edit]

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).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • enPR: nĕt'(ə)l, IPA(key): /ˈnɛt(ə)l/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛt(ə)l

Noun[edit]

nettle (plural nettles)

  1. Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.
    1. Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, the stinging nettles:
      1. Most, but not all, subspecies of Urtica dioica (common nettle),
      2. Urtica incisa (Australian nettle);
    2. Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis);
    3. Bull nettles and spurge nettles (Cnidoscolus spp.):
      1. Cnidoscolus stimulosus, bull nettle, spurge nettle,
      2. Cnidoscolus texanus, Texas bull nettle,
      3. Cnidoscolus urens, bull nettle,
      4. Nettle trees or tree nettles:
        1. Various species of the genus Dendrocnide:
        2. Urera baccifera (scratchbush),
        3. Urtica ferox (tree nettle);
    4. rock nettle (Eucnide spp.);
    5. small-leaved nettle (Dendrocnide photinophylla).
  2. Certain plants that have spines or prickles:
    1. ball nettle (Solanum carolinense);
    2. Solanum elaeagnifolium, bull nettle, silver-leaf nettle, white horse-nettle;
    3. Solanum dimidiatum, western horse-nettle, robust horse-nettle;
    4. Solanum rostratum, horse-nettle;
    5. Celtis (hackberry).
  3. Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:
    1. dead nettle, dumb nettle (Lamium spp.), particularly Lamium album, white nettle;
    2. false nettle (Boehmeria spp., family Urticaceae);
    3. flame nettle or painted nettle (Coleus spp.);
    4. hedge nettle (Stachys spp.);
    5. hemp nettle (Galeopsis spp.);
    6. horse nettle Agastache urticifolia,
    7. nilgiri nettle, Himalayan giant nettle (Girardinia diversifolia, family Urticaceae).
  4. Loosely, anything which causes a similarly stinging rash, such as a jellyfish or sea nettle.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

deadnettle — see deadnettle

Verb[edit]

nettle (third-person singular simple present nettles, present participle nettling, simple past and past participle nettled)

  1. (transitive) Of the nettle plant and similar physical causes, to sting, causing a rash in someone.
    The children were badly nettled after playing in the field.
  2. (transitive, figurative) To pique, irritate, vex or provoke.
    • 1679, Aphra Behn, The Feign’d Curtizans‎[1], London: Jacob Tonson, act V, scene 1:
      His Mistress: whose Mistress, what Mistress; s’life how that little word has nettled me!
    • 1741, Samuel Richardson, Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded, London: C. Rivington & J. Osborn, 2nd edition, Volume I, Letter 31, p. 212,[2]
      I saw Mr. Williams was a little nettled at my Impatience […]
    • 1985, United States, Daily Report: People's Republic of China, numbers 180-189, Foreign Broadcast Information Service, page 42:
      Liu, whose political writings had nettled the Taiwanese authorities, was assassinated on October 15, last year, in Daly City […]

Translations[edit]

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Anagrams[edit]

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