| Acanthus 1. (n.) A genus of herbaceous prickly plants, found in the south of Europe, Asia Minor, and India; bear's-breech. 2. (n.) An ornament resembling the foliage or leaves of the acanthus (Acanthus spinosus); -- used in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders. Thesaurus Entries abacus, acanthus, annulet, apophyge, architrave, astragal, beading, beak, bell, billet, boss, capstone, cartouche, cavetto, cima, cinquefoil, conge, console, coping, corbel, cornice, crown, cusp, cyma, dentil, drip, drop, fascia, fillet, finial, foil, fret, frontispiece, head, header, headpiece, keystone, lintel, listel, molding, ovolo, patera, pendant, quatrefoil, reed, sconce, splay, taenia, terminal, torus, treenail, trefoil, tympanum, volute |