NETTLE
Dictionary entry overview: What does nettle mean?
• NETTLE (noun)
The noun NETTLE has 1 sense:
1. any of numerous plants having stinging hairs that cause skin irritation on contact (especially of the genus Urtica or family Urticaceae)
Familiarity information: NETTLE used as a noun is very rare.
• NETTLE (verb)
The verb NETTLE has 2 senses:
1. sting with or as with nettles and cause a stinging pain or sensation
2. cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
Familiarity information: NETTLE used as a verb is rare.
Dictionary entry details
• NETTLE (noun)
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)
• NETTLE (verb)
Meaning:
Sting with or as with nettles and cause a stinging pain or sensation
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Synonyms:
nettle; urticate
Hypernyms (to "nettle" is one way to...):
bite; burn; sting (cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
Classified under:
Verbs of feeling
Synonyms:
vex; rile; nark; irritate; gravel; annoy; devil; rag; bother; nettle; get to; chafe; get at
Context examples:
Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me / It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves
Hypernyms (to "nettle" is one way to...):
displease (give displeasure to)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "nettle"):
beset; chevvy; chevy; chivvy; chivy; harass; harry; hassle; molest; plague; provoke (annoy continually or chronically)
fret (cause annoyance in)
ruffle (trouble or vex)
peeve (cause to be annoyed, irritated, or resentful)
eat into; fret; grate; rankle (gnaw into; make resentful or angry)
get; get under one's skin (irritate)
antagonise; antagonize (provoke the hostility of)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Sentence example:
The performance is likely to nettle Sue
