Spiky means having sharp points sticking out. Spiky hair, a spiky plant, spiky leaves.
Of a plant the spikes are defence, and holly grows them low down where animals browse and leaves the high leaves smooth — the same tree carries both. Of a person, spiky means prickly and quick to take offence. Note spike, from the Norse for a sharp point.
1adjectivespikyHaving sharp points sticking out.
“The frightened hedgehog rolled itself into a spiky ball.”
2adjectivepricklyPrickly and quick to take offence.
“She can be a bit spiky if you ask about her private life.”
spiky is a quality of sharpness.
Spike plus -y. Spike comes from Old Norse spik, a point or sprig.
Proto-Indo-European
*spey- — long; sharp; thin
Latin
spīca — ear, head, or spike of grain; plant spike
Middle English
spik
English, today
spiky
Built from
From spike + -y. Spike is derived from Middle English spik, spike (“ear of grain; clove of garlic; plant having spikes; plant of the genus Valeriana, especially Valeriana officinalis; plant of the genus Lavandula, lavender”), from Latin spīca (“ear, head, or spike of grain; plant spike”) feminine (also rarely spīcum neuter and spīcus masculine), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European spey- (“long; sharp; thin”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
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