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Glite Dictionary
brook thistle

brook thistle

9.9
A thistle that grows near streams and wet meadows in central and southwestern Europe
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : cardo de arroyo
  • The brook thistle thrives in wet meadows and along stream banks in Europe.

Examples

  • Gardeners appreciate the brook thistle for its spiky leaves and purple flowers.

  • The brook thistle grows abundantly along the riverbank.

  • Botanists recorded an unusually large cluster of brook thistle in the valley this year.

  • I spotted a brook thistle while hiking in the forest.

  • Gardeners appreciate the brook thistle for its spiky leaves and purple flowers.

  • The brook thistle thrives in wet meadows and along stream banks in Europe.

  • Botanists recorded an unusually large cluster of brook thistle in the valley this year.

Synonyms

Cirsium rivulare
vsbrook thistle
  • Specialized
9.9

A tall plant with purple-red flower heads that is a type of thistle from central and southwestern Europe

is defined by preference for streams and damp places rather than appearance

Surface Forms

brook thistle singular
brook thistles plural

Morphology

brook + thistle

The noun is a straightforward composition of 'brook' (a small stream) and 'thistle' (a spiny plant), meaning a thistle associated with or growing near brooks/streams. This kind of compound is cross-linguistically common and follows regular noun‑formation patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The name brook thistle comes from where the plant grows: beside a brook, a small 'stream', and from being a thistle with spiky leaves. This picture of a spiky plant by water explains why the name means a thistle found near streams and wet places.