Echinated

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Marked by a surface that is densely populated with sharp spines or projections
2. Having a surface densely covered with sharp, stiff spines or prickles that protrude outward
3. Characterized by numerous pointed projections or spikes on its exterior

Etymology: In ancient Greek, "echinos" meant both hedgehog and sea urchin, and the spiny animal gave the word its descriptive power. Latin took it as "echinus" with the same sense, and from the Latin adjective "echinatus," meaning spiny or bristling like a hedgehog, English gained a technical term for surfaces covered in stiff projections. The same Greek word also gave architecture its "echinus," the rounded moulding beneath the top block of a Doric column, likely named for its curved shape, which resembles a sea urchin's shell. "Echinated" is a less common variant of "echinate," with the same meaning. Both are used mainly in botany and zoology, where the spines of a seed case, leaf, or animal's body need precise description.