This noun denotes a brier or thorn, a prickly plant that causes pain and difficulty. Ezekiel uses it twice in symbolic contexts: in 2:6, the prophet is warned he dwells among scorpions and thorns (representing hostile people), and in 28:24, it describes 'a pricking brier' that will no longer afflict Israel when God judges the surrounding nations. The imagery is consistently negative—thorns represent hostility, pain, and opposition. The etymology is uncertain, but the word clearly designates painful, prickly vegetation used metaphorically for people or nations that cause suffering and irritation to God's people.