spinule

[spahy-nyool, spin-yool]

noun Zoology, Botany.

a small spine.

Origin of spinule

From the Latin word spīnula, dating back to 1745–55. See spine, -ule

Related formsspin·u·lose

[spin-yuh-lohs, spahy-nyuh-] /ˈspɪn yəˌloʊs, ˈspaɪ nyə-/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spinule

Historical Examples of spinule

This process has been one of time: the adhesion of the "spinule" took place in about sixteen hours after its escape from the egg.
Omphalos
Philip Henry Gosse

British Dictionary definitions for spinule

spinule

noun

biology a very small spine, thorn, or prickle

Derived Formsspinulose (ˈspaɪnjʊˌləʊs), adjective

Word Origin for spinule

C18: from Late Latin spīnula

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