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Aug 3, 2005

This week's theme
Biblical allusions

This week's words
gadarene
potter's field
crown of thorns
widow's cruse
golden calf

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crown of thorns

noun:
1. An onerous burden or an affliction that causes intense suffering.
2. A thorny bush (Euphorbia milii) native to Madagascar, grown as a houseplant. (picture)
3. A starfish (Acanthaster planci) found in the Pacific that feeds on live corals. (picture)

After the biblical account of a mock crown made of thorny branches that Roman soldiers placed on Jesus's head before his crucifixion.

"Manipur chief minister O.I. Singh wears a crown of thorns. With battlelines clearly drawn on several fronts, it will take a major effort to close ranks."
Patricia Mukhim; A Recipe For Disaster?; The Telegraph (Calcutta, India); Jul 5, 2005.

See more usage examples of crown of thorns in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

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