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.

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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. 2020

Words related to spiny

barbed, pointy, sharp, spiked, spiky, spinous, thorny

Example sentences 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