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Glite Dictionary
thyrsus

thyrsus

1 9.9
A dense cluster of small flowers on a plant like a lilac or horse chestnut
  • noun
  • /ˈθɪr.səs/
  • Specialized
: tirso
  • The horse chestnut tree produces a large thyrsus of white flowers, creating a stunning visual display.

Examples

  • During the spring, the garden is filled with the dense thyrsus of flowers from the flowering plants.

  • Socratic man has run his course; crown your heads with ivy, seize the thyrsus, and do not be surprised if tiger and panther lie down and caress your feet!

    Academic text (1992)

  • Wherefore, in lieu of the thyrsus of Bacchic orgies, did he hold in his hand a cross made of a desert reed, the prototype of the Cross of Golgotha?

    Academic text (1991)

  • The lilac's blossoms form a beautiful thyrsus that attracts many bees in the spring.

Synonyms

thyrse
vsthyrsus
  • Specialized
9.9

A dense cluster of small flowers on a main stem with side branches

has identical meaning but uses the other spelling

Surface Forms

thyrsus singular
thyrsi plural

Etymology

Thyrsus comes from Greek thyrsos, which meant a 'leafy staff' — a decorated stick carried by the god Dionysus. In plants, a thyrsus is a tight bunch of flowers that looks like that decorated stick, so the name helps you remember its shape.