nettle
English

Urtica dioica
Etymology
From Middle English netle, netel, from Old English netle, netele, netel, from Proto-Germanic *natilǭ (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
- enPR: nĕt'(ə)l, IPA(key): /ˈnɛt(ə)l/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɛt(ə)l
Noun
nettle (plural nettles)
- Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.
- Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, the stinging nettles:
- Most, but not all, subspecies of Urtica dioica,
- Urtica incisa;
- Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis);
- Bull nettles and spurge nettles of genus Cnidoscolus:
- Cnidoscolus stimulosus, bull nettle, spurge nettle,
- Cnidoscolus texanus, Texas bull nettle,
- Cnidoscolus urens, bull nettle,
- Nettle trees or tree nettles:
- Various species of the genus Dendrocnide,
- Urera baccifera,
- Urtica ferox;
- rock nettle (Eucnide);
- small-leaved nettle (Dendrocnide photinophylla).
- Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, the stinging nettles:
- Certain plants that have spines or prickles:
- Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:
- dead nettle, dumb nettle (Lamium), particularly Lamium album, white nettle;
- false nettle (Boehmeria, family Urticaceae);
- flame nettle or painted nettle (Coleus);
- hedge nettle (Stachys);
- hemp nettle (Galeopsis);
- horse nettle Agastache urticifolia,
- nilgiri nettle, Himalayan giant nettle (Girardinia diversifolia, family Urticaceae).
- Loosely, anything which causes a similarly stinging rash, such as a jellyfish or sea nettle.
Derived terms
Derived terms
- grasp the nettle
- nettle rash
- nettlelike
Translations
stinging herb of genus Urtica
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deadnettle — see deadnettle
Verb
nettle (third-person singular simple present nettles, present participle nettling, simple past and past participle nettled) (transitive)
- (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.
- c. 1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 1, Act I, Scene 3,
- […] I am whipp’d and scourged with rods,
- Nettled and stung with pismires, when I hear
- Of this vile politician, Bolingbroke.
- (transitive, figuratively) To pique, irritate, vex or provoke.
- 1679, Aphra Behn, The Feign’d Curtizans, London: Jacob Tonson, Act V, Scene 1, p. ,
- 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,
- I saw Mr. Williams was a little nettled at my Impatience […]
- 1985, United States. Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Daily Report: People's Republic of China (issues 180-189, page 42)
- Liu, whose political writings had nettled the Taiwanese authorities, was assassinated on October 15, last year, in Daly City […]
- 1679, Aphra Behn, The Feign’d Curtizans, London: Jacob Tonson, Act V, Scene 1, p. ,
Translations
of the nettle plant etc., to sting causing a rash
to pique, irritate, vex or provoke someone
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
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