nettle
/ˈnɛt(ə)l
/noun
1A herbaceous plant which has jagged leaves covered with stinging hairs.
- Genus Urtica, family Urticaceae: several species, in particular the Eurasian stinging nettle (U. dioica).
- But the beauty of most edible plants - nettles, dandelions, alexanders, fat hen, sorrel - is that they are so prolific they are considered a nuisance.
- Almost everyone is familiar with the nettle through its formidable sting, but few know about the important role it plays in the natural world.
1.1Used in names of other plants with leaves of a similar appearance to those of the nettle, e.g. dead-nettle.Flea beetles also feed on many nongarden plants, including Virginia creeper, pokeweed, horse nettle, pigweed and wild mustard family plants....
- Dead nettles are ground cover perennials with leaves that are marked in silver.
verb [with object]
1Irritate or annoy (someone): ‘I was only asking,’ Jess said, nettled...
- So it nettles me a little bit for people to question her qualifications.
- One remark of Don's, however, nettled me for its pre-emptive protecting of the poet.
- I am nettled by this, and, refusing his attentions walk off into the surf squaring my shoulders.
Synonyms
irritate, annoy, irk, gall, vex, anger, exasperate, infuriate, bother, provoke;
upset, displease, offend, affront, get/put someone's back up, disgruntle, rankle with, pique, needle, ruffle, get on someone's nerves, try someone's patience, ruffle someone's feathers, make someone's hackles rise, raise someone's hackles, chafe;
British rub up the wrong way;
North American rankle, ride, gravel
informal peeve, aggravate, miff, rile, get, get to, bug, get under someone's skin, get in someone's hair, get up someone's nose, hack off, get someone's goat, drive up the wall
British informal nark, get on someone's wick, give someone the hump, wind up, get across someone
North American informal tick off
New Zealand informal rark
vulgar slang piss off
British vulgar slang get on someone's tits
rare exacerbate, hump, rasp
irritated, annoyed, cross, put out, irked, galled, vexed, exasperated, infuriated;
upset, displeased, offended, affronted, disgruntled, piqued, aggrieved, stung, huffy, in a huff
informal peeved, aggravated, miffed, miffy, riled, hacked off, peed off
British informal cheesed off, browned off, brassed off, narked, eggy, not best pleased
North American informal teed off, ticked off, sore
West Indian informal vex
vulgar slang pissed off
archaic snuffy
2 archaic Sting with nettles.The weeds on either side had been cut during the last few days, otherwise I suspect my legs would have been badly nettled....
- I had to get into the hedge-back to take this and nettled my legs.
Phrases
grasp the nettle
Origin
Old English netle, netele, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch netel and German Nessel. The verb dates from late Middle English.