This·tle n.  Bot. Any one of several prickly composite plants, especially those of the genera Cnicus, Craduus, and Onopordon. The name is often also applied to other prickly plants.
 Blessed thistle, Carduus benedictus, so named because it was formerly considered an antidote to the bite of venomous creatures.
 Bull thistle, Cnicus lanceolatus, the common large thistle of neglected pastures.
 Canada thistle, Cnicus arvensis, a native of Europe, but introduced into the United States from Canada.
 Cotton thistle, Onopordon Acanthium.
 Fuller's thistle, the teasel.
 Globe thistle, Melon thistle, etc. See under Globe, Melon, etc.
 Pine thistle, Atractylis gummifera, a native of the Mediterranean region. A vicid gum resin flows from the involucre.
 Scotch thistle, either the cotton thistle, or the musk thistle, or the spear thistle; -- all used national emblems of Scotland.
 Sow thistle, Sonchus oleraceus.
 Spear thistle. Same as Bull thistle.
 Star thistle, a species of Centaurea. See Centaurea.
 Torch thistle, a candelabra-shaped plant of the genus Cereus. See Cereus.
 Yellow thistle, Cincus horridulus.
 Thistle bird Zool., the American goldfinch, or yellow-bird (Spinus tristis); -- so called on account of its feeding on the seeds of thistles. See Illust. under Goldfinch.
 Thistle butterfly Zool., a handsomely colored American butterfly (Vanessa cardui) whose larva feeds upon thistles; -- called also painted lady.
 Thistle cock Zool., the corn bunting (Emberiza militaria). [Prov. Eng.]
 Thistle crown, a gold coin of England of the reign of James I., worth four shillings.
 Thistle finch Zool., the goldfinch; -- so called from its fondness for thistle seeds. [Prov. Eng.]
 Thistle funnel, a funnel having a bulging body and flaring mouth.

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 Globe n.
 1. A round or spherical body, solid or hollow; a body whose surface is in every part equidistant from the center; a ball; a sphere.
 2. Anything which is nearly spherical or globular in shape; as, the globe of the eye; the globe of a lamp.
 3. The earth; the terraqueous ball; -- usually preceded by the definite article.
 4. A round model of the world; a spherical representation of the earth or heavens; as, a terrestrial or celestial globe; -- called also artificial globe.
 5. A body of troops, or of men or animals, drawn up in a circle; -- a military formation used by the Romans, answering to the modern infantry square.
 Him round
 A globe of fiery seraphim inclosed.   --Milton.
 Globe amaranth Bot., a plant of the genus Gomphrena (G. globosa), bearing round heads of variously colored flowers, which long retain color when gathered.
 Globe animalcule, a small, globular, locomotive organism (Volvox globator), once throught to be an animal, afterward supposed to be a colony of microscopic algæ.
 Globe of compression Mil., a kind of mine producing a wide crater; -- called also overcharged mine.
 Globe daisy Bot., a plant or flower of the genus Globularing, common in Europe. The flowers are minute and form globular heads.
 Globe sight, a form of front sight placed on target rifles.
 Globe slater Zool., an isopod crustacean of the genus Spheroma.
 Globe thistle Bot., a thistlelike plant with the flowers in large globular heads (Cynara Scolymus); also, certain species of the related genus Echinops.
 Globe valve. (a) A ball valve. (b) A valve inclosed in a globular chamber. --Knight.
 Syn: -- Globe, Sphere, Orb, Ball.
 Usage: -- Globe denotes a round, and usually a solid body; sphere is the term applied in astronomy to such a body, or to the concentric spheres or orbs of the old astronomers; orb is used, especially in poetry, for globe or sphere, and also for the pathway of a heavenly body; ball is applied to the heavenly bodies concieved of as impelled through space.


 globe thistle
      n : any of various plants of the genus Echinops having prickly
          leaves and dense globose heads of bluish flowers