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spiny

[ spahy-nee ]
/ ˈspaɪ ni /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR spiny ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, spin·i·er, spin·i·est.

abounding in or having spines; thorny, as a plant.
covered with or having sharp-pointed processes, as an animal.
in the form of a spine; resembling a spine; spinelike.
troublesome or difficult to handle; thorny: a spiny problem.

Words related to spiny

barbed, pointy, sharp, spiky, spinous, thorny

Words nearby spiny

spinproof, spinster, spinthariscope, spinto, spinule, spiny, spiny anteater, spiny cocklebur, spiny dogfish, spiny dormouse, spiny lizard

Origin of spiny

First recorded in 1580–90; spine + -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM spiny

spin·i·ness, nounnon·spin·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for spiny

British Dictionary definitions for spiny

spiny
/ (ˈspaɪnɪ) /

adjective spinier or spiniest

(of animals) having or covered with quills or spines
(of plants) covered with spines; thorny
troublesome to handle; puzzling
shaped like a spine

Derived forms of spiny

spininess, noun
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