Barblike

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by possessing sharp, backward-facing points typically used for catching or holding
2. Describing something that features small, pointed projections that catch or stick in surfaces
3. Having thorny or hooked projections that prevent easy removal or slipping

Etymology: "Barblike" is simply "barb" plus the suffix "-like", meaning "resembling a barb." The base word "barb" is older: in Middle English it referred to the beard or whisker-like hook on an arrow or fish hook, and it traces to Latin "barba," meaning beard, which is also the source of "barbel," the fish named for its whisker-like feelers. The "-like" ending is one of English's most productive suffixes, inherited from Old English "-lic," which meant "having the form or appearance of." Attaching it to a noun produces an adjective describing something that resembles that noun, so "barblike" describes anything shaped like a backward-pointing hook or a sharp projection.

Synonyms: spiny, prickly, thorny, pointed, barbed

Antonyms: smooth, blunt, rounded, flat, soft