crown of thorns

Meaning

1. The crown made of a thorny plant that Christ was forced to wear before his Crucifixion, in mocking reference to his alleged status as ‘king of the Jews’, or a representation of this.
2. A spiny Mediterranean tree, Ziziphus spina-christi.
3. A spiny spurge, Euphorbia milii, native to Madagascar.
4. The plant Koeberlinia spinosa.
5. A large starfish with venemous spines, Acanthaster planci.
6. A woodworking technique, used in tramp art, in which interlocking pieces are notched to intersect at right angles and form joints and self-supporting objects.

Synonyms

cross

Christ plant

Christ thorn

Euphorbia milii

trial

affliction

visitation

whammy

christplant

tribulation

hardship

infliction

ordeal

Translations

croix

passage

couronne d’épines

épine du Christ

couronne du Christ

euphorbia milii

croce

corona di spine

Euphorbia milii

Euphorbia milii var. splendens

Koeberlinia spinosa

doornenkroon

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌkɹaʊn əv ˈθɔːnz/

Etymology

Calque of Latin spinea corona, itself a calque of Hellenistic Ancient Greek ἀκάνθινος στέφανος (akánthinos stéphanos).