Thyr·sus n.; pl. Thyrsi
1. A staff entwined with ivy, and surmounted by a pine cone, or by a bunch of vine or ivy leaves with grapes or berries. It is an attribute of Bacchus, and of the satyrs and others engaging in Bacchic rites.
A good to grow on graves
As twist about a thyrsus. --Mrs. Browning.
In my hand I bear
The thyrsus, tipped with fragrant cones of pine. --Longfellow.
2. Bot. A species of inflorescence; a dense panicle, as in the lilac and horse-chestnut.
◄ ►
thyrsus
n : a dense flower cluster (as of the lilac or horse chestnut)
in which the main axis is racemose and the branches are
cymose [syn: thyrse]
[also: thyrsi (pl)]