WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Thyr"sus
Part of Speech : n.;
Etymology : [L., fr. Gr. Torso.]
Definition : 1. A staff entwined with ivy, and surmounted by a pine cone, or by a bunch of vine or ivy leaves with grapes or berries. It is an attribute of Bacchus, and of the satyrs and others engaging in Bacchic rites. A good to grow on graves As twist about a thyrsus. Mrs. Browning. In my hand I bear The thyrsus, tipped with fragrant cones of pine. Longfellow.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: A species of inflorescence; a dense panicle, as in the lilac and horse-chestnut.

pl. Thyrsi.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913