thorny

adjective

No English definition recorded for this entry.

Pronunciation: /ˈθɔːni/ / /ˈθɔɹni/

Etymology: From Middle English thorny, þorny, þorni, from Old English þorniġ, from Proto-West Germanic *þornag. By surface analysis, thorn + -y.

Having thorns or spines.
“Tara flour is one of two products made from the seed pods of a thorny shrub native to Peru. One of those, tara gum, has been used safely for years as a thickening agent or stabilizer in human foods.”
Troublesome or vexatious.
“thorny issues”
“the steep and thorny way to heaven”
Aloof and irritable.
“Come, Jo, don't be thorny. After studying himself to a skeleton all the week, a fellow deserves petting, and ought to get it.”