spiny

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: spin=y

CIDE DICTIONARY

spiny, a. [From Spine.].

•  Full of spines; thorny; as, a spiny tree.  [1913 Webster]
•  Like a spine in shape; slender.  Chapman.  [1913 Webster]
•  Fig.: Abounding with difficulties or annoyances.  [1913 Webster]

  "The spiny deserts of scholastic philosophy."  [1913 Webster]

Spiny lobster. (Zoöl.) Same as Rock lobster, under Rock. See also Lobster.

spiny, n. 

 See Spinny.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

spiny, adj. (spinier, spiniest)
1 full of spines; prickly.
2 perplexing, troublesome, thorny.

Idiom

spiny anteater = ECHIDNA. spiny lobster any of various large edible crustaceans of the family Palinuridae, esp. Palinuris vulgaris, with a spiny shell and no large anterior claws.

Derivative

spininess n.

THESAURUS

spiny

Herculean, abstruse, acanthoid, acanthous, acicular, acuate, aculeate, aculeiform, acuminate, acute, arduous, barbed, brutal, complex, cornuted, critical, cusped, cuspidate, delicate, demanding, difficile, difficult, exacting, formidable, hairy, hard, hard-earned, hard-fought, hispid, horned, horny, intricate, jawbreaking, knotted, knotty, laborious, mean, mucronate, needle-pointed, needle-sharp, nettlesome, no picnic, not easy, operose, pointed, prickly, pronged, rigorous, rough, rugged, set with thorns, severe, sharp-pointed, spiculate, spiked, spiky, spined, spinous, steep, strenuous, tapered, tapering, thorny, ticklish, tined, toilsome, toothed, tough, tricky, unbated, uphill, wicked

ROGET THESAURUS

spiny

Sharpness

N sharpness, acuity, acumination, spinosity, point, spike, spine, spicule, spiculum, needle, hypodermic needle, tack, nail, pin, prick, prickle, spur, rowel, barb, spit, cusp, horn, antler, snag, tag thorn, bristle, Adam's needle, bear grass, tine, yucca, nib, tooth, tusk, spoke, cog, ratchet, crag, crest, arete, cone peak, sugar loaf, pike, aiguille, spire, pyramid, steeple, beard, chevaux de frise, porcupine, hedgehog, brier, bramble, thistle, comb, awn, beggar's lice, bur, burr, catchweed, cleavers, clivers, goose, grass, hairif, hariff, flax comb, hackle, hatchel, heckle, wedge, knife edge, cutting edge, blade, edge tool, cutlery, knife, penknife, whittle, razor, razor blade, safety razor, straight razor, electric razor, scalpel, bistoury, lancet, plowshare, coulter, colter, hatchet, ax, pickax, mattock, pick, adze, gill, billhook, cleaver, cutter, scythe, sickle, scissors, shears, pruning shears, cutters, wire cutters, nail clipper, paper cutter, sword, bodkin, belduque, bowie knife, paring knife, bushwhacker, drawing knife, drawing shave, microtome, chisel, screwdriver blade, flint blade, guillotine, sharpener, hone, strop, grindstone, whetstone, novaculite, steel, emery, sharp, keen, acute, acicular, aciform, aculeated, acuminated, pointed, tapering, conical, pyramidal, mucronate, mucronated, spindle shaped, needle shaped, spiked, spiky, ensiform, peaked, salient, cusped, cuspidate, cuspidated, cornute, cornuted, cornicultate, prickly, spiny, spinous, spicular, thorny, bristling, muricated, pectinated, studded, thistly, briary, craggy, snaggy, digitated, two-edged, fusiform, dentiform, denticulated, toothed, odontoid, starlike, stellated, stelliform, sagittate, sagittiform, arrowheaded, arrowy, barbed, spurred, acinaciform, apiculate, apiculated, aristate, awned, awny, bearded, calamiform, cone-shaped, coniform, crestate, echinate, gladiate, lanceolate, lanciform, awl, awl-shaped, lance-shaped, awl- shaped, scimitar-shaped, sword-shaped, setarious, spinuliferous, subulate, tetrahedral, xiphoid, cutting, sharp edged, knife edged, sharp as a razor, keen as a razor, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, sharpened, set.