Definition

Adjective: * Having a stem that is covered with or characterized by spines, thorns, or prickles. It describes a plant whose main stalk is sharp and pointed.

Usage

This adjective is used attributively, typically placed directly before the noun it modifies to describe a specific characteristic of a plant.

Examples

• The spiny-stemmed blackberry bush is difficult to harvest without gloves.
• Botanists identified a rare, spiny-stemmed cactus in the desert.
• We cleared the garden of spiny-stemmed weeds.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in botanical descriptions, field guides, and horticultural contexts to help identify or warn about plants.
• It can be used in comparative descriptions: "The spiny-stemmed variety is more resistant to herbivores than its smooth-stemmed cousin."

Variants and Related Words

• Spiny (adj): Covered with or full of spines. (e.g., a spiny lobster).
• Stemmed (adj): Having a stem, often used in combination (e.g., long-stemmed rose, smooth-stemmed plant).
• Thorny-stemmed (adj): A near-synonym, though "thorn" and "spine" have specific botanical definitions.

Synonyms

• Prickly-stemmed
• Thorny-stemmed

Antonyms

• Smooth-stemmed
• Soft-stemmed

Adjective

1. having a spiny stem