Library / English Dictionary

NETTLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of numerous plants having stinging hairs that cause skin irritation on contact (especially of the genus Urtica or family Urticaceae)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("nettle" is a kind of...):

weed (any plant that crowds out cultivated plants)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "nettle"):

stinging nettle; Urtica dioica (perennial Eurasian nettle established in North America having broad coarsely toothed leaves with copious stinging hairs)

Roman nettle; Urtica pipulifera (annual European nettle with stinging foliage and small clusters of green flowers)

Laportea canadensis; wood nettle (American perennial herb found in rich woods and provided with stinging hairs; provides fibers used for textiles)

clearweed; dead nettle; Pilea pumilla; richweed (a plants of the genus Pilea having drooping green flower clusters and smooth translucent stems and leaves)

artillery plant; Pilea microphylla (tropical American stingless nettle that discharges its pollen explosively)

friendship plant; panamica; panamiga; Pilea involucrata (low stingless nettle of Central and South America having velvety brownish-green toothed leaves and clusters of small green flowers)

Derivation:

nettle (sting with or as with nettles and cause a stinging pain or sensation)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

Example:

It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves

Synonyms:

annoy; bother; chafe; devil; get at; get to; gravel; irritate; nark; nettle; rag; rile; vex

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "nettle" is one way to...):

displease (give displeasure to)

Verb group:

chafe (feel extreme irritation or anger)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "nettle"):

get; get under one's skin (irritate)

eat into; fret; grate; rankle (gnaw into; make resentful or angry)

peeve (cause to be annoyed, irritated, or resentful)

ruffle (trouble or vex)

fret (cause annoyance in)

beset; chevvy; chevy; chivvy; chivy; harass; harry; hassle; molest; plague; provoke (annoy continually or chronically)

antagonise; antagonize (provoke the hostility of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The performance is likely to nettle Sue

Sense 2

Meaning:

Sting with or as with nettles and cause a stinging pain or sensation

Synonyms:

nettle; urticate

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "nettle" is one way to...):

bite; burn; sting (cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort)

Verb group:

urticate (whip with or as with nettles)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

nettle (any of numerous plants having stinging hairs that cause skin irritation on contact (especially of the genus Urtica or family Urticaceae))

Credits

 Context examples: 

Mary had shewn herself disobliging to him, and was now to reap the consequence, which consequence was his dropping her arm almost every moment to cut off the heads of some nettles in the hedge with his switch; and when Mary began to complain of it, and lament her being ill-used, according to custom, in being on the hedge side, while Anne was never incommoded on the other, he dropped the arms of both to hunt after a weasel which he had a momentary glance of, and they could hardly get him along at all.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Therapy based on plant-derived preparations which include the following: Individual herbs - Ginkgo biloba, Hypericum, Garlic, Ginseng, Echinacea, Saw palmetto, Urtica diocia (nettle), Kava kava, Hawthorne, Witch Hazel, Bilberry, Ginger, Aloe vera, Capsicum, Feverfew, Green tea, Tee Tree oil, Licorice root, Yohimbe, Valerian, Bee Pollen, Cat's Claw, Evening Primrose, Dong Quai, Fenugreek, Marshmallow, Psyllium, Turmeric.

(Botanical Therapy, NCI Thesaurus)

An orally available capsule-based nutritional supplement containing indole-3-carbinol, calcium-D-glucarate, Schizandra, vitamin D3, milk thistle, stinging nettle and hydroxymatairesinol (HMR) lignans, with potential estrogen modulating, antiproliferative and antioxidant activity.

(Indole-3-Carbinol/Calcium/Schizandra/Vitamin D3/Milk Thistle/Stinging Nettle/Lignan-Based Nutritional Capsule, NCI Thesaurus)

Being decidedly nettled herself, and longing to see him shake off the apathy that so altered him, Amy sharpened both tongue and pencil, and began.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Mrs. Steerforth appeared to me to regret having been a little nettled; for she presently said, in a kind tone: Well, my dear Rosa, we have not heard what it is that you want to be satisfied about?

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Indole-3-carbinol, found in vegetables of the Cruciferae family, may inhibit mammary cell growth and exerts antiestrogenic activity; Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) and Schizandra chinensis may enhance some of the phase II detoxification enzymes; Calcium-D-glucarate and vitamin D3 may inhibit mammary cell growth; stinging nettle may exert its effect through its aromatase inhibiting activity; HMR lignans may have a beneficial effect on estrogen balance and levels.

(Indole-3-Carbinol/Calcium/Schizandra/Vitamin D3/Milk Thistle/Stinging Nettle/Lignan-Based Nutritional Capsule, NCI Thesaurus)

I should certainly have boiled over if I hadn't stayed among the nettles till I got my rage under control enough to hold my tongue.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

At last I found one that I thought looked promising, at the corner of a dirty lane, ending in an enclosure full of stinging-nettles, against the palings of which some second-hand sailors' clothes, that seemed to have overflowed the shop, were fluttering among some cots, and rusty guns, and oilskin hats, and certain trays full of so many old rusty keys of so many sizes that they seemed various enough to open all the doors in the world.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Now, Jo did not like to leave it, for Mr. Dashwood didn't suit her at all, but, under the circumstances, there was nothing for her to do but bow and walk away, looking particularly tall and dignified, as she was apt to do when nettled or abashed.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

This nettled her.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)