net·tle
noun/ˈnetl/
/ˈnetl/
(also stinging nettle)
Idioms - a wild plant with leaves that have pointed edges, are covered in fine hairs and sting (= cause you pain) if you touch them
enlarge image荨麻 - The nettles had spread and now covered half the garden.
荨麻向四周曼延，已经遍及半个花园了。
Extra ExamplesTopics Plants and treesc2- The butterflies lay their eggs on nettles.
蝴蝶在荨麻上产卵。 - There was an old car half buried in the nettles.
有辆旧车半掩在荨麻丛里。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- stinging
- clump
- patch
- grow
- sting
- in nettles
Word OriginOld English netle, netele, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch netel and German Nessel. The verb dates from late Middle English. - The nettles had spread and now covered half the garden.
Idioms
grasp the nettle
- (British English) to deal with a difficult situation without hesitating
果断地处理棘手问题 - The government now has the opportunity to grasp the nettle of prison reform.
政府现在有机会解决监狱改革的难题。
- The government now has the opportunity to grasp the nettle of prison reform.