1. a thorn Snp.845; Vin.i.188; Ja.v.102 Ja.vi.105 (in description of the Vetaraṇī); cp. kusa˚
2. any instrument with a sharp point Sdhp.201.
3. a bone, fish-bone Ja.i.222; in piṭṭhi˚; a bone of the spine DN.ii.297≈ (see kaṭaṭṭhi); MN.i.80 = MN.i.245; Vism.271; Sdhp.102.
4. (fig.) an obstacle, hindrance nuisance (“thorn in my side”); Kv.572; enemy infestor; a dacoit, thief, robber DN.i.135 (sa˚ and a˚, of the country as infested with dacoits or free from them, cp DN-a.i.296); Ja.i.186 (paṭikaṇṭaka, enemy); Ja.v.450; Thag.946; Dhp-a.i.177 (akkhimhi); Vv-a.301.
5. (fig.) anything sharp, thorny, causing pain: of kāmā (passions SN.iv.189, SN.iv.195, SN.iv.198; Ud.24; Kv.202; cp. sa˚
   ■ Thus grouped, like saṃyojanāni, into 10 obstacles to perfection (dasa k.) AN.v.134; as “bringing much trouble Ja.iv.117. Often in standing phrase khāṇu-kaṇṭaka stumbling and obstruction AN.i.35; Snp-a.334. As abstr kaṇṭakattaṃ hindrance at Vism.269 (sadda˚)
   ■ akaṇṭaka 1 free from thorns Ja.ii.118; Ja.v.260. 2 (fig. free from thieves, quiet, peaceful DN.i.135; also not difficult, easy, happy, bringing blessings (of the right path) AN.v.135; Vv.18#7; Vv-a.96
   ■ sakaṇṭaka 1 having bones (of food) Ja.iv.192, Ja.iv.193. 2 (fig.) beset with thieves, dangerous DN.i.135; thorny, i.e. painful, miserable (of duggati and kāmā) SN.iv.195; Thig.352; Ja.v.260
   ■ Cp. also kaṇḍaka and nikkaṇṭaka.

• -āpacita covered with thorns Ja.vi.249 (cp. ˚ācita)
• -āpassaya (= kaṇṭak’ apāśraya) a bed made of an outstretched skin, under which are placed thorns or iron spikes; to lie or stand on such is a practice of certain naked ascetics DN.i.167 = MN.i.78≈.
• -āpassayika (adj to prec.) “bed-of-thorns-man” DN.i.167≈. At Ja.i.493 the reading is k-āpassaya, at Ja.iii.74 k-apassaya; at Ja.iii.235 the reading is kaṇṭhaka-seyyaṃ kappetha (should it be k-āpassaye seyyaṃ k˚?); DN.i.167 reads kaṇṭhakā-passayika.
• -ācita covered with thorns Ja.v.167.
• -ādhāna a thorny brake, a thorny hedge MN.i.10 (k-dhāna; for dhāna = ṭhāna see dhāna & cp rāja-dhānī); AN.i.35; Mil.220.
• -kasā a thorny whip used for punishment and torture Ja.iii.41.
• -gahana a thorny thicket or jungle SN.ii.228.
• -gumba a th. bush Ja.i.208.
• -latā a th. creeper, the Capparis Zeilanica Ja.v.175.
• -vaṭṭa a thorny brake or hedge MN.i.448.

From kantati² to cut. Brh. kaṇṭaka. Spelt also kaṇṭhaka