any of various plants of the Old World genus Sonchus, esp S. oleraceus, having milky juice, prickly leaves, and heads of yellow flowers: family Asteraceae (composites)
Also called: milk thistle or (NZ) puha or (NZ) rauriki
Word origin
C13: from sugethistel, perhaps variant of Old English thugethistel, thuthistel thowthistle, a dialect name of the sow thistle. See sow2, thistle
sow thistle in American English
(saʊ)
any of several weeds (genus Sonchus) of the composite family, with yellow flower heads and spiny leaves
Word origin
ME sowethistel (parallel with Ger saudistel): see sow2 & thistle