spiky

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈspaɪki/ UK /ˈspaɪki/ See IPA manual

Freq #34596

Meanings

1

adj
having many sharp points or projections; in this passage, standing up in stiff pointed tufts

His spiky hair stood up in sharp tufts after he removed his hat.
2

adj
Of a plant: producing spikes (“ears (as of corn); inflorescences in which sessile flowers are arranged on unbranched elongated axes”).

[T]he harvest maids began to look knowingly to their partners, who, taking the hint, sprang to their feet, hauled up their sweet abettors, were mated in a moment, and commenced a dance among the stubble, so brisk, that the tall harvest of spiky wheat, standing by, rustled and nodded to them on its golden rods.
3

adj
Of a plant part: resembling a spike of a plant (see above).

Of this kinde, there is founde an other, the Spikes, eares, or torches wherof, are very dubble, ſo as in euery Spyky eare, in ſteede of the little knappes or heades, it bringeth forth a number of other ſmal torches, wherof eche one is lyke to the ſpike or torch of great Plantayne. […] The ſtalkes [of the third kind of plaintain] be creſted or ſtraked, and beare at the toppe fayre ſpiked knappes with white floures or bloſſoms, like the ſpykie knoppes of the middle Plantayne.
4

adj
Having one or more spikes; spiny.

The ſpiky VVheels thro' Heaps of Carnage tore; / And thick the groaning Axles dropp'd vvith Gore.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · having many sharp points or... spikedprickly

Word family

Derived forms spikespikilyspikinessunspiky

Related forms spikelet

Etymology

From spike (“piece of pointed metal, etc.”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense “having the quality of”). Spike is derived from Middle English spik, spike (“large metal (usually iron) nail; thing shaped like such a nail”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Middle Dutch spiker (“large nail”), Middle Low German spiker (“large nail”), or Old Norse spík (“spike; sprig”), all possibly from Latin spīca (“ear, head, or spike of grain; plant spike”) (see further at etymology 1), or from Proto-Germanic *spīkō (“large nail, spike”), both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *spey-...

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# spiky

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈspaɪki/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈspaɪki/
**Frequency rank:** 34596

## Meanings
1. having many sharp points or projections; in this passage, standing up in stiff pointed tufts
2. Of a plant: producing spikes (“ears (as of corn); inflorescences in which sessile flowers are arranged on unbranched elongated axes”).
3. Of a plant part: resembling a spike of a plant (see above).
4. Having one or more spikes; spiny.

## Examples
- His spiky hair stood up in sharp tufts after he removed his hat.
- [T]he harvest maids began to look knowingly to their partners, who, taking the hint, sprang to their feet, hauled up their sweet abettors, were mated in a moment, and commenced a dance among the stubble, so brisk, that the tall harvest of spiky wheat, standing by, rustled and nodded to them on its golden rods.
- Of this kinde, there is founde an other, the Spikes, eares, or torches wherof, are very dubble, ſo as in euery Spyky eare, in ſteede of the little knappes or heades, it bringeth forth a number of other ſmal torches, wherof eche one is lyke to the ſpike or torch of great Plantayne. […] The ſtalkes [of the third kind of plaintain] be creſted or ſtraked, and beare at the toppe fayre ſpiked knappes with white floures or bloſſoms, like the ſpykie knoppes of the middle Plantayne.
- The ſpiky VVheels thro' Heaps of Carnage tore; / And thick the groaning Axles dropp'd vvith Gore.

## Derived Forms
- spike
- spikily
- spikiness
- unspiky

## Related Forms
- spikelet

## Etymology
From spike (“piece of pointed metal, etc.”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense “having the quality of”). Spike is derived from Middle English spik, spike (“large metal (usually iron) nail; thing shaped like such a nail”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Middle Dutch spiker (“large nail”), Middle Low German spiker (“large nail”), or Old Norse spík (“spike; sprig”), all possibly from Latin spīca (“ear, head, or spike of grain; plant spike”) (see further at etymology 1), or from Proto-Germanic *spīkō (“large nail, spike”), both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *spey-...

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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