spiny

[ spahy-nee ]

/ ˈspaɪ ni /

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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.

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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. 2021

How to use spiny in a sentence

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
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
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

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