Emily Dickinson Lexicon

THO'RITE, n.

A massive and compact mineral, found in Norway, and resembling gadolinite.

THO-RI'UM, n.

The metallic base of thoria. It is of a grayish color.

THORN, n. [Sax. thorn; G. dorn; D. doorn; Dan. torne; Slav. tern; Goth. thaurnus; W. draen. Qu. is not the latter contracted from the Gaelic dreaghum?]

1. A tree or shrub armed with spines or sharp ligneous shoots; as, the black thorn; white thorn, &c. The word is sometimes incorrectly applied to a bush with prickles; as, a rose on a thorn.
2. A sharp ligneous or woody shoot from the stem of a tree or shrub; a sharp process from the woody part of a plant; a spine. Thorn differs from prickle; the latter being applied to the sharp points issuing from the bark of a plant and not attached to the wood, as in the rose and bramble. But in common usage, thorn is applied to the prickle of the rose, and in fact the two words are used promiscuously.
3. Any thing troublesome. St. Paul had a thorn in the flesh. 2 Cor. xii. Num. xxxiii.
4. In Scripture, great difficulties and impediments. I will hedge up thy way with thorns. Hos. ii.
5. Worldly cares; things which prevent the growth of good principles. Matth. xiii.

THORN'-AP-PLE, n. [thorn and apple.]

A plant of the genus Datura; a popular name of the Datura Stramonium and Datura Tatula. Bigelow.

THORN'-BACK, n. [thorn and back.]

A fish of the ray kind, which has prickles on its back. Cyc.

THORN'-BUSH, n.

A shrub that produces thorns.

THORN'-BUT, n.

A fish, a but or turbot. Ainsworth.

THORN'-HEDGE, n. [thorn and hedge.]

A hedge or fence consisting of thorn.

THORN'LESS, a.

Destitute of thorns; as, a thornless shrub or tree. Muhlenberg.

THORN'-SET, a.

Set with thorns.

THORN'Y, a.

1. Full of thorns or spines; rough with thorns; as, a thorny wood; a thorny tree; a thorny diadem or crown. Dryden. Ralegh.
2. Troublesome; vexatious; harassing; perplexing; as, thorny care; the thorny path of vice.
3. Sharp; pricking; vexatious; as, thorny points. Shak.

THORN'Y-REST-HAR-ROW, n. [THORN'Y REST-HAR-ROW.]

A plant. Cyc.

THORN'Y-TRE-FOIL, n.

A plant of the genus Fagonia. Lee.

THOR-OUGH, a. [thur'ro; Sax. thurh; G. durch; D. door. In these languages, the word is a preposition; but as a preposition we write it through. See this word. It is evidently from the root of door, which signifies a passage, and the radix of the word signifies to pass.]

1. Literally, passing through or to the end; hence, complete; perfect; as, a thorough reformation; thorough work; a thorough translator; a thorough poet. Dryden.
2. Passing through; as, thorough lights in a home. Bacon.

THOR-OUGH, n. [thur'ro.]

An inter-furrow between two ridges. Cyc.

THOR-OUGH, prep. [thur'ro.]

1. From side to side, or from end to end.
2. By means of. [Not now used. See Through.]

THOR-OUGH-BASE, n. [thur'ro-base. thorough and base.]

In music, an accompaniment to a continued base by figures. Cyc.

THOR-OUGH-BRED, a. [thur'ro-bred. thorough and bred.]

Completely taught or accomplished.

THOR-OUGH-FARE, n. [thur'ro-fare. thorough and fare.]

1. A passage through; a passage from one street or opening to another; an unobstructed way.
2. Power of passing. Milton.

THOR-OUGH-GO-ING, a.

Going all lengths. Irving.

THOR-OUGH-LY, adv. [thur'roly.]

Fully; entirely; completely; as, a room thoroughly swept; a business thorougly performed. Let the matter be thoroughly sifted. Let every part of the work be thoroughly finished.

THOR-OUGH-NESS, a. [thur'roness.]

Completeness; perfectness. Stowe.

THOR-OUGH-PAC-ED, a. [thur'ro-paced. thorough and paced.]

Perfect in what is undertaken; complete; going all lengths; as, a thorough-paced tory or whig. Swift.

THOR-OUGH-SPED, a. [thur'ro-sped. thorough and sped.]

Fully accomplished; thorough-paced. Swift.

THOR-OUGH-STITCH, adv. [thur'ro-stitch. Thorough and stitch.]

Fully; completely; going the whole length of any business. [Not elegant.] L'Estrange.