crown of thorns

noun

1. a succulent flowering plant, Euphorbia milii, of the spurge family, with densely spiny stems that climb and scramble over other vegetation: native to Madagascar, the species and its numerous varieties are widely cultivated for gardens and as houseplants.

2. crown-of-thorns starfish.

3. a painful burden, as of suffering, guilt, anxiety, etc.: from the wreath of thorns placed on Jesus' head in the Bible.

crown-of-thorns

noun

1. a starfish, Acanthaster planci, that has a spiny test and feeds on living coral in coral reefs

2. Also called: Christ's thorn. a thorny euphorbiaceous Madagascan shrub, Euphorbia milii var. splendens, cultivated as a hedging shrub or pot plant, having flowers with scarlet bracts

crown of thorns

1. A mock crown, made from thorn branches, that Roman soldiers put on the head of Jesus before the Crucifixion. The soldiers also “bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews (see also Jews)!’”

In common usage, a “crown of thorns” may be anything that causes intense suffering: “The jailed political leader bears her afflictions like a crown of thorns.” Similar to the expression “cross to bear.” (See Crucifixion.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of crown-of-thorns¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English

Example Sentences

There has been some success with the Australian government's crown-of-thorns starfish culling programme, which has killed over 50,000 starfish by injecting them with vinegar or ox bile.

From BBC

Scientists are one step closer to combating coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish, following a University of Queensland study into the pest's genetics.

From Science Daily

"The Reef has demonstrated its capacity to recover from previous coral bleaching events, severe tropical cyclones, and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks."

From BBC

In 2010, crown-of-thorns starfish and a cyclone destroyed more than 99% of the corals, effectively hitting the reset button on the reef.

From Science Daily

For her, managing crown-of-thorns is “not about killing things,” but a way of protecting the entire ecosystem from climate stressors.

From National Geographic