spinney

[ spin-ee ]

noun

, British.

, plural spin·neys.

1. a small wood or thicket.

spinney

/ ˈspɪnɪ /

noun

1. a small wood or copse

Word History and Origins

Origin of spinney¹

1300–50; Middle English < Middle French espinei (masculine), espinaie (feminine) a place full of thorns, derivative of espine spine; compare Late Latin spīnētum difficulty, equivalent to Latin spīn ( a ) thorn ( spine ) + -ētum noun suffix ( arboretum )

Word History and Origins

Origin of spinney¹

C16: from Old French espinei, from espine thorn, from Latin spīna

Example Sentences

Do you remember long ago at the gate over there leading to Drake's Spinney?

From Project Gutenberg

On the one side the hedge was high, but on the other there was a slight gap leading into a thick spinney.

From Project Gutenberg

"Spinney is not such a bad fellow at bottom," I replied, albeit touched by the warm partisanship of my wife.

From Project Gutenberg

I made this discovery in a spinney, or copse, near a small tarn some half mile to the eastward of Fernbridge's precincts.

From Project Gutenberg

Pickersdyke halted his little command behind the remains of a spinney and went forward to reconnoitre.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• scrub
• thicket