spiky
adjEtymology
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- (“long; sharp; thin”).
- The ſpiky VVheels thro' Heaps of Carnage tore; / And thick the groaning Axles dropp'd vvith Gore.1720, Homer, translated by Alexander Pope, “Book XX”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume V, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 222, lines 585–586:
- Three ornithischian dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of North America may be growth stages of the same one species. Dracorex is smallest and spikiest. Stygimoloch is medium-sized and has the longest horns. Pachycephalosaurus is the biggest and also the least spikiest, but it has the largest, thickest dome.2016, Darren Naish, Paul Barrett, “Biology, Ecology and Behaviour”, in Dinosaurs: How They Lived and Evolved, London: Natural History Museum; Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books, →ISBN, image caption, page 170:
- [I]f ten thousand of this spiky tree, the larch, are stuck in at once upon the side of a hill, they can grow up into nothing but deformity; […]1810, William Wordsworth, “Topographical Description of the Country of the Lakes in the North of England”, in The River Duddon: A Series of Sonnets: Vaudracour and Julia; and Other Poems. […], London: […] [Andrew and Robert Spottiswoode] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, & Brown, […], published 1820, →OCLC, pages 299–300:
- At first, he slept heavily, but, by degrees, began to roll and surge in bed, until he rose above the surface, with his spiky hair looking as if it must tear the sheets to ribbons.1859, Charles Dickens, “Five Years Later”, in A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book II (The Golden Thread), page 35:
2 more examples
- Then he felt, not another crumpled rose, but a thorn; a dozen spiky thorns sticking into him in the most cruel manner.1895, Walter Besant, “The Equal Woman”, in In Deacon’s Orders etc., London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, section II, page 126:
- We see here how habits of handwriting continued to be stratified by social class and gender. Roundness, as with earlier secretary hand, was a signifier of trade – a spikier hand was regarded as more fitting for young ladies' personal letter writing.1996, David Graddol, “English Manuscripts: The Emergence of a Visual Identity”, in David Graddol, Dick Leith, Joan Swann, editors, English: History, Diversity and Change, London; New York, N.Y.: Routledge in association with the Open University, →ISBN, page 70:
Biology, Botany, Natural sciences Figuratively Of a person or their nature: difficult to deal with; abrasive, hostile, unfriendly.
- a spiky personality
Biology, Botany, Natural sciences Figuratively Of a thing: not smooth; rough, sharp.
- It started with Ron [Phillips] soloing on "He Wasn't Talking to Me," a quiet and wistful ballad that segued into the upbeat and spiky "Give Me a Man Who's Glad to Be Gay." This was a pride anthem about being gay with a few nudges at those carrying their closets with them to the bars (Straight looking marine seeks/straight looking cop to please/How straight can they look/when they're down on their knees?).1988 April 16, Jim Fauntleroy, “Intimate Entertainment: A Playful Evening with Romanovsky and Phillips”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 38, Boston, Mass.: The Bromfield Street Educational Foundation, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 16, column 4:
Biology, Botany, Natural sciences Derogatory, Figuratively, Slang Excessively high church (“practising a formal style of liturgy and emphasizing continuity with Catholicism”).
- I wondered if this meant he was a spiky Anglo-Catholic, which seemed a little unlikely, given that Norfolk's spiky hotspots are well-known.2022 January 23, Simon Knott, “All Saints, Litcham”, in norfolkchurches.co.uk:
- That was when pink gin was still a favoured drink among Anglo-Catholics, and no self-respecting spiky curate could be without it.2019 January 4, Graham James, “Diary: Graham James”, in Church Times: