spiny

[ spahy-nee ]

/ ˈspaɪ ni /

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See synonyms for spiny on Thesaurus.com

Definition of spiny

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.

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Origin of spiny

First recorded in 1580–90; spine + -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM spiny

spin·i·ness, nounnon·spin·y, adjective

Words nearby spiny

spin the platter, spinto, spinule, spin vector, spin wave, spiny, spiny anteater, spiny cocklebur, spiny dogfish, spiny dormouse, spiny-finned

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spiny in a sentence

He tried kicking his foot out to dislodge the spiny hitchhiker.
How to remove cactus spines (including ones stuck in your throat)|Kate Baggaley|October 4, 2021|Popular-Science
Depending on the lighting, you might not recognize that it’s a spiny as it is until you feel it.
How to remove cactus spines (including ones stuck in your throat)|Kate Baggaley|October 4, 2021|Popular-Science
While it’s one of the continent’s largest rodents— measuring up to three feet in length—this spiny friend is nothing to be afraid of.
How to not get pricked by a North American porcupine|Natalie Wallington|September 17, 2021|Popular-Science
Meanwhile, its spiny claws combed through the sediment and drew prey towards its mouth.
This ancient ‘mothership’ used probing ‘fingers’ to scrape the ocean floor for prey|Kate Baggaley|September 9, 2021|Popular-Science

The spiny water flea is being studied and monitored in Ontario’s Quetico Provincial Park and Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
A spiky flea could ruin Midwestern ecosystems and kill native fish|By Abi Cole/Outdoor Life|February 17, 2021|Popular-Science
When Spiny Norman, the giant hedgehog, goes looking for the Dimsdale brothers in Monty Python.
Craig Ferguson's 10 Favorite Comedy Moments|Craig Ferguson, The Daily Beast Video|May 20, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The rules were fairly lax, and we watched Spiny Norman shouting “Dimsdale!”
Craig Ferguson's 10 Favorite Comedy Moments|Craig Ferguson, The Daily Beast Video|May 20, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Here and there a cactus plant thrust spiny arms into the air.
The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch|Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter
Acanthopterygian, ak-an-thop-tėr-ij′i-an, adj. having spiny fins.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
A veritable hail of thunderbolts now crashed down upon the creature's spiny back.
The Myths of the North American Indians|Lewis Spence
The erect flower-stem terminates in a large round head of numerous imbricated oval spiny scales which surround the flowers.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2|Various
Astragalus, a genus of papilionaceous plants, herbaceous or shrubby, and often spiny.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2|Various

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

spiny

Definition of spiny

Origin of spiny

OTHER WORDS FROM spiny

Words nearby spiny

Words related to spiny

How to use spiny in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spiny

Derived forms of spiny