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spinescent

[ spahy-nes-uhnt ]
/ spaɪˈnɛs ənt /
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adjective
Botany.
  1. becoming spinelike.
  2. ending in a spine.
  3. bearing spines.
Zoology. somewhat spinelike; coarse, as hair.
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Origin of spinescent

First recorded in 1785–95, spinescent is from the Late Latin word spīnēscent- (stem of spīnēscēns, present participle of spīnēscere to grow thorny). See spine, -escent

OTHER WORDS FROM spinescent

spi·nes·cence, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spinescent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spinescent

spinescent
/ (spaɪˈnɛsənt) /

adjective biology
having or resembling a spine or spines
becoming spiny

Derived forms of spinescent

spinescence, noun

Word Origin for spinescent

C18: from Late Latin spīnēscere to become thorny, from Latin spīna a thorn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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