a Eurasian thistle-like plant, Carlina vulgaris, having spiny leaves and flower heads surrounded by raylike whitish bracts: family Asteraceae (composites)
Also called: carline thistle
Word origin
C16: from French, probably from Latin cardō thistle
carline in British English2
or carlin (ˈkɑːlɪn)
noun
1. mainly Scottish
an old woman, hag, or witch
2. a variant of carling
Word origin
C14: from Old Norse kerling old woman, diminutive of karl man, churl
carline in American English
(ˈkɑrlɪn; ˈkɛrlɪn) or ˈcarlin (ˈkɑrlɪn; ˈkɛrlɪn)
noun Scottish
1.
a woman, esp. an old woman
2.
a hag; witch
Word origin
ON kerling, wife, old woman < karl, a man + fem. suffix