---
title: thistle — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «thistle» in the school dictionary: A thistle is a wild plant with prickly leaves and stems and a round purple (sometimes yellow or white) flower head; its seeds float on fluffy down. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# thistle

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** thistle, yellow, seeds, I, Goldfinches, Butterflies · **What happens:** be, flower, float down, sting, eat, float · **To what, where:** wild plant, head, fluffy, hand, symbol, thistle seeds

<!-- .vabout -->
«thistle» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [thistle in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/thistle.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A thistle is a wild plant with prickly leaves and stems and a round purple (sometimes yellow or white) flower head; its seeds float on fluffy down.

<!-- fold The tree, 27 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:thistle:m1:1
# text = A thistle is a wild plant with prickly leaves and stems and a round purple (sometimes yellow or white) flower head; its seeds float on fluffy down.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	thistle	thistle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	wild	wild	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	plant	plant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	prickly	prickly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	leaves	leaf	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nmod	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	stems	stem	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	conj	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	round	round	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	purple	purple	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
16	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	sometimes	sometimes	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	18	advmod	_	_
18	yellow	yellow	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	22	nsubj	_	_
19	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
20	white	white	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	18	punct	_	_
22	flower	flower	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	acl:relcl	_	_
23	head	head	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	27	punct	_	_
25	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	26	nmod:poss	_	_
26	seeds	seed	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	27	nsubj	_	_
27	float	float	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	parataxis	_	_
28	on	on	ADP	IN	_	29	case	_	_
29	fluffy	fluffy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	27	obl	_	_
30	down	down	ADV	RB	_	27	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
31	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a thistle | a wild plant and a round purple |  |  |  | with prickly leaves and stems | tree rules |
| 2 | **flower** | present | yellow | head |  |  |  |  | vn entity\_specific\_modes\_being-47.2 «NP.location V NP»: agent=Location head=Theme |
| 3 | **float down** | present | thistle's seeds |  |  | fluffy |  | down *property* | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on fluffy=Trajectory |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I stung my hand on a prickly thistle.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:thistle:x1:1
# text = I stung my hand on a prickly thistle.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	stung	sting	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	prickly	prickly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	thistle	thistle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sting** | past | I | my hand |  |  |  | on a prickly thistle | vn touch-20-1 «NP V NP PP.theme PP.instrument»: agent=Agent hand=Experiencer on thistle=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The thistle is the symbol of Scotland.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:thistle:x2:1
# text = The thistle is the symbol of Scotland.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	thistle	thistle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	symbol	symbol	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	Scotland	Scotland	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the thistle | the symbol |  |  |  | of Scotland | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Goldfinches eat thistle seeds.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:thistle:x3:1
# text = Goldfinches eat thistle seeds.
1	Goldfinches	goldfinch	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	eat	eat	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	thistle	thistle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	seeds	seed	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | present | Goldfinches | thistle seeds |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent seed=Patient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Thistle down floated across the field.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:thistle:x4:1
# text = Thistle down floated across the field.
1	Thistle	thistle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	down	down	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	floated	float	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	across	across	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	field	field	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **float** | participle · passive |  | Thistle |  | the field |  | down *property* | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V NP PP.trajectory»: subject=Theme across field=Trajectory |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Butterflies landed on the purple thistles.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:thistle:x5:1
# text = Butterflies landed on the purple thistles.
1	Butterflies	butterfly	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	landed	land	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	purple	purple	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	thistles	thistle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **land** | past | Butterflies |  |  | the purple thistles |  |  | vn pocket-9.10-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent on thistle=Destination |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Donkeys will sometimes eat thistles.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:thistle:x6:1
# text = Donkeys will sometimes eat thistles.
1	Donkeys	donkey	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	sometimes	sometimes	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	4	advmod	_	_
4	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	thistles	thistle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | future | Donkeys | thistles |  |  |  | sometimes *property* | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent thistle=Patient |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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