Meaning

noun any of numerous plants having stinging hairs that cause skin irritation on contact (especially of the genus Urtica or family Urticaceae)

verb sting with or as with nettles and cause a stinging pain or sensation

verb cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

originFrom Middle English netle, netel, from Old English netle, netele, netel, from Proto-West Germanic *natilā (cognate with Old Saxon netila, Middle Dutch netele (modern Dutch netel), German Nessel, Middle Danish nædlæ (“nettle”)), a diminutive of Proto-Germanic *natǭ (of unknown origin, perhaps from the same source as net).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0