DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
Thorn·y a. [Compar. Thornier superl. Thorniest.]
1. Full of thorns or spines; rough with thorns; spiny; as, a thorny wood; a thorny tree; a thorny crown.
2. Like a thorn or thorns; hence, figuratively, troublesome; vexatious; harassing; perplexing. “The thorny point of bare distress.”
The steep and thorny way to heaven. --Shak.
Thorny rest-harrow Bot., rest-harrow.
Thorny trefoil, a prickly plant of the genus Fagonia (Fagonia Cretica, etc.).
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thorny
adj 1: bristling with perplexities; "the thorny question of states'
rights"
2: having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines
or thorns or setae etc.; "a horse with a short bristly
mane"; "bristly shrubs"; "burred fruits"; "setaceous
whiskers" [syn: barbed, barbellate, briary, briery,
bristled, bristly, burred, burry, prickly, setose,
setaceous, spiny]
[also: thorniest, thornier]