Phrase guide

sow thistle

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈsaʊ ˌθɪsl̩/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of the thistles in one of the genera Cicerbita and Sonchus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

any of several Old World coarse prickly-leaved shrubs and subshrubs having milky juice and yellow flowers; widely naturalized; often noxious weeds in cultivated soil

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: milk thistle

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: shrub, bush

Narrower terms: milkweed, Sonchus oleraceus

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

50 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تِفَاف (tifāf) — thistle
  • Arabic: جَعْضِيض (jaʕḍīḍ) — thistle
  • Armenian: կաթնբեկ (katʻnbek) — thistle
  • Armenian: իշամառոլ (išamaṙol) — thistle
  • Basque: kardabera — thistle
  • Bulgarian: кострец (kostrec) — thistle
  • Catalan: lletsó — thistle
  • Chinese: 荼 (tô͘) — thistle
  • Chinese Mandarin: 荼 (tú) — thistle
  • Danish: svinemælk — thistle
  • Danish: svinetidsel — thistle
  • Danish: svinedild — thistle
  • Danish: turt — thistle
  • Dutch: melkdistel — thistle
  • Finnish: valvatti — thistle
  • Finnish: sinivalvatti — thistle
  • French: laiteron — thistle
  • Georgian: ღიჭა (ɣič̣a) — thistle
  • German: Gänsedistel — thistle
  • German: Saudistel — thistle
  • German: Milchlattich — thistle
  • Greek: ζοχός (zochós) — thistle
  • Ancient Greek: σόγχος (sónkhos) — thistle
  • Irish: bainne muice — thistle
  • Irish: bleachtán — thistle
  • Irish: bleachtfheochadán — thistle
  • Irish: slóchtán — thistle
  • Italian: crespigno — thistle
  • Italian: sonco — thistle
  • Māori: pūwhā — thistle
  • Māori: pūhā — thistle
  • Māori: rauriki — thistle
  • Māori: raurōroa — thistle
  • Mingrelian: ბურცხალე (burcxale) — thistle
  • Mingrelian: გინიში ჯონჯღო (giniši ǯonǯɣo) — thistle
  • Mingrelian: გინიშ ჯღონჯღო (giniš ǯɣonǯɣo) — thistle
  • Norwegian: turt — thistle
  • Norwegian: tort — thistle
  • Norwegian: turta — thistle
  • Norwegian: torta — thistle
  • Plautdietsch: Säajenkool — thistle
  • Polish: mlecz — thistle
  • Russian: осо́т (osót) — thistle
  • Scottish Gaelic: cluaran-cruaidh — thistle
  • Spanish: cerraja — thistle
  • Swedish: torta — thistle
  • Swedish: tolta — thistle
  • Turkish: eşek marulu — thistle
  • Turkish: kuzugevreği — thistle
  • Ukrainian: осо́т (osót) — thistle