thorny; troublesome; intractable. Describes a difficult matter that is hard to handle, much like a plant with thorns that pricks the hand.

thistles and thorns; thorny undergrowth; various types of prickly shrubs found in the wild

deciduous shrub or small tree used for windbreaks and sand stabilization; the fruit is used in medicine and to make beverages

to hack through thistles and thorns; to overcome all obstacles and break through hardships

a mechanical wheel with saw-like teeth that allows motion in only one direction; ratchet wheel

the sharp thorns or spines on certain plants and animals; a prickle or quill

(machinery) a pawl, pallet, or catch used in a mechanism to allow motion in only one direction

A phylum of marine invertebrates, such as sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and starfish, typically characterized by a radial symmetry and a hard, spiny skin or shell

literally a path covered in brambles; used to describe a situation or course of action that is full of obstacles and hardships

The sight of palace bronze camels buried in thorns; used to describe the tragic ruins of a fallen capital, the devastation of a nation, or the decline of a once-great family.

(literary) the highest officials in the central government; specifically the three dukes and nine ministers. The term refers to an ancient court layout where three locust trees and eighteen jujube trees marked the seating positions for different ranks of nobility and titles

Chinese sea buckthorn, a deciduous shrub or small tree known for its edible berries and use in soil conservation

the lucid asparagus plant, or its root used in traditional Chinese medicine

to hack one's way through brambles and thorns; to overcome difficulties and obstacles in one's path

thorns; thorny plants

literally a peachwood bow and jujube arrows; traditionally used as tools to drive away evil influences or disasters

(literary) a term once used to refer to oneself while in mourning for a parent

A place surrounded by or fenced with thorns

ancient name for the Court of Judicial Review or the supreme court in imperial China

(literary) A son's humble way of referring to himself when speaking of his deceased parents

a dense forest or thicket of thorny bushes; brambles

trouble; problem; a thorny or difficult affair

a type of bamboo characterized by having thorns on its stalks or branches

small herb with purple flowers and roots used in traditional medicine

the thorns or spines of a buckthorn or sour jujube plant; (botany) buckthorn plants

(literary) civil service examination venue, originally so called because the perimeter was fenced with thorn bushes to prevent cheating

(literary) place where imperial civil service exams were held; also written as [[棘围|棘圍|ji2 wei2]] or [[棘闱|棘闈|ji2 wei2]]

Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus, a 10 meter long hadrosaur dinosaur with a single horn on its duck-billed snout

(literary) sour date or wild jujube tree

genus of shrubs and trees commonly known as sea-buckthorns

desolation and ruins caused by war; literally thorns and brambles surrounding the bronze camels (statues) of the imperial palace

Describes writing that is overly intricate, difficult to understand, or uses strange and obscure phrasing

difficult; hazardous; full of dangers and obstacles

to eat bitter herbs and lie on thorns; an idiom used to describe sharing the same difficult and hard life as the common people