briar

noun

1. Any of many plants with thorny stems growing in dense clusters, such as many in the Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax genera.

   “Youngthes folke now flocken in every where, To gather May-buskets and smelling brere”

2. (figuratively)Anything that is sharp or unpleasant to the feelings.

   “¶ And thou ſonne of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their wordes, though bryars and thornes be with thee, and thou doeſt dwell among ſcorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be diſmayed at their lookes, though they be a rebellious houſe.”

   “Rov'd far, and gather'd much : some harsh, 't is true, / Pick'd from the thorns and briers of reproof, / But wholesome, well-digested;[…]”

3. Tree heath (Erica arborea), a thorny Mediterranean shrub.
4. A pipe for smoking, made from the roots of that shrub.

   “Then he put the insulted pipe in his pocket, corked himself up with the immense briar, and sneered at Cripps over the top of it.”

name

1. A topographic surname from Middle English.
2. A unisex given name from English.