Definition of "nettle"

nettle

/ˈnɛt(ə)l/

noun
plural nettles
1. Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.
  1. Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, the stinging nettles:
    Most, but not all, subspecies of Urtica dioica (common nettle),
    Urtica incisa (Australian nettle);
  2. Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis);
  3. Bull nettles and spurge nettles (Cnidoscolus spp.):
    Cnidoscolus stimulosus, bull nettle, spurge nettle,
    Cnidoscolus texanus, Texas bull nettle,
    Cnidoscolus urens, bull nettle,
    Nettle trees or tree nettles:
    Various species of the genus Dendrocnide:
    Urera baccifera (scratchbush),
    Urtica ferox (tree nettle);
  4. rock nettle (Eucnide spp.);
  5. small-leaved nettle (Dendrocnide photinophylla).
2. Certain plants that have spines or prickles:
  1. ball nettle (Solanum carolinense);
  2. Solanum elaeagnifolium, bull nettle, silver-leaf nettle, white horse-nettle;
  3. Solanum dimidiatum, western horse-nettle, robust horse-nettle;
  4. Solanum rostratum, horse-nettle;
  5. Celtis (hackberry).
3. Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:
  1. dead nettle, dumb nettle (Lamium spp.), particularly Lamium album, white nettle;
  2. false nettle (Boehmeria spp., family Urticaceae);
  3. flame nettle or painted nettle (Coleus spp.);
  4. hedge nettle (Stachys spp.);
  5. hemp nettle (Galeopsis spp.);
  6. horse nettle Agastache urticifolia,
  7. nilgiri nettle, Himalayan giant nettle (Girardinia diversifolia, family Urticaceae).
4. Loosely, anything which causes a similarly stinging rash, such as a jellyfish or sea nettle.
verb
third-person singular simple present nettles, present participle nettling, simple past and past participle nettled
1. (transitive) Of the nettle plant and similar physical causes, to sting, causing a rash in someone.
  Quotations
  […] I am whipp’d and scourged with rods,Nettled and stung with pismires, when I hearOf this vile politician, Bolingbroke.
  c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene iii]
2. (transitive, figuratively) To pique, irritate, vex or provoke.
  Quotations
  His Mistress: whose Mistress, what Mistress; s’life how that little word has nettled me!
  1679, Aphra Behn, The Feign’d Curtizans‎, London: Jacob Tonson, act V, scene 1
  I saw Mr. Williams was a little nettled at my Impatience […]
  1741, Samuel Richardson, Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded, London: C. Rivington & J. Osborn, 2nd edition, Volume I, Letter 31, p. 212
  Liu, whose political writings had nettled the Taiwanese authorities, was assassinated on October 15, last year, in Daly City […]
  1985, United States, Daily Report: People's Republic of China, numbers 180-189, Foreign Broadcast Information Service, page 42