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View synonyms for spiny

spiny

[ spahy-nee ]

adjective

spinier, spiniest.
  1. abounding in or having spines; thorny, as a plant.
  2. covered with or having sharp-pointed processes, as an animal.
  3. in the form of a spine; resembling a spine; spinelike.
  4. troublesome or difficult to handle; thorny:

    a spiny problem.



spiny

/ ˈspaɪnɪ /

adjective

  1. (of animals) having or covered with quills or spines
  2. (of plants) covered with spines; thorny
  3. troublesome to handle; puzzling
  4. shaped like a spine
“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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Derived Forms

  • ˈspininess, noun
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Other Words From

  • spini·ness noun
  • non·spiny adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of spiny1

First recorded in 1580–90; spine + -y 1
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Example Sentences

“Then make sure to cool it immediately to prevent holdover temperature from overcooking the spiny little beast!”

From Salon

The closing ceremony featured a spiny, glistening figure, the “Golden Voyager,” who arrived from the night sky.

The deadly wave, which may soon threaten these spiny, slow-moving invertebrates globally, appears to have begun half a world away.

Whatever its evolutionary affinities, these spiny arachnids appear to come from a time when arachnids were experimenting with a range of different body plans.

In 2023, Edward Stanley was conducting routine CT scans of spiny mice and was surprised to find their tails were covered with an internal coat of bony plates, called osteoderms.

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spinulespiny anteater