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Prickly

adj, adv, noun, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Covered with sharp points.

    "The prickly pear is a cactus; you have to peel it before eating it to remove the spines and the tough skin."

  2. 2
    Easily irritated. figuratively

    "He has a prickly personality. He doesn't get along with people because he is easily set off."

  3. 3
    Difficult; complicated; hairy or thorny. figuratively

    "It was a prickly situation."

Adjective
  1. 1
    having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc. wordnet
  2. 2
    very irritable wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    In a prickly manner.

    "Striding across stage in his bright white jacket, his voice soaring and cracking – like Charlie Parker’s – he was nervous but prickly eloquent, caustic yet encouraging."

Noun
  1. 1
    Something that gives a pricking sensation; a sharp object. colloquial

    "Below, way out on the flat, Blue had seen a light green that could be graze but up here was nothing 'cept all kinds of prickly bushes, and too many of them. Ground-spreading pricklies that reached out to jump at a horse's belly […]"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From prickle + -y.

Etymology 2

From prickle + -y.

Etymology 3

From prickle + -y.

See also for "prickly"

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