spiky

spiky · adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*spey-“long; sharp; thin”
2. Latin · derived fromspīca“ear, head, or spike of grain; plant spike”
3. Middle English · derived fromspik
4. English todayspiky

From spike (“kind of inflorescence in which sessile flowers are arranged on an unbranched elongated axis”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense “having the quality of”). Spike is derived from Middle English spik, spike (“ear of grain; clove of garlic; plant having spikes; plant of the genus Valeriana, especially Valeriana officinalis; plant of the genus Lavandula, lavender”), from Latin spīca (“ear, head, or spike of grain; plant spike”) (feminine) (also rarely spīcum (neuter) and spīcus (masculine)), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *spey- (“long; sharp; thin”).

spiky · adjective²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*spey-“long; sharp; thin”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*spīkō“large nail, spike”
3. Latin · derived fromspīca“ear, head, or spike of grain; plant spike”
4. Old Norse · derived fromspík“spike; sprig”
5. Middle Low German · derived fromspiker“large nail”
6. Middle Dutch · derived fromspiker“large nail”
7. Middle English · derived fromspik
8. English todayspiky

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”).

Words from the same roots