Thorny \Thorn"y\, a. [Compar. Thornier; superl. Thorniest.]

[Cf. AS. [thorn]orniht.]

1. Full of thorns or spines; rough with thorns; spiny; as, a thorny wood; a thorny tree; a thorny crown. [1913 Webster]

2. Like a thorn or thorns; hence, figuratively, troublesome; vexatious; harassing; perplexing. "The thorny point of bare distress." --Shak. [1913 Webster]

The steep and thorny way to heaven. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Thorny rest-harrow (Bot.), rest-harrow.

Thorny trefoil, a prickly plant of the genus Fagonia (Fagonia Cretica, etc.). [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

thorny adj
1: bristling with perplexities; "the thorny question of states' rights"
2: having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.; "a horse with a short bristly mane"; "bristly shrubs"; "burred fruits"; "setaceous whiskers" [syn: barbed, barbellate, briary, briery, bristled, bristly, burred, burry, prickly, setose, setaceous, spiny] [also: thorniest, thornier]

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

thorniest See thorny

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

Thorny \Thorn"y\, a. [Compar. Thornier; superl. Thorniest.]

[Cf. AS. [thorn]orniht.]

1. Full of thorns or spines; rough with thorns; spiny; as, a thorny wood; a thorny tree; a thorny crown.

2. Like a thorn or thorns; hence, figuratively, troublesome; vexatious; harassing; perplexing. ``The thorny point of bare distress.'' --Shak.

The steep and thorny way to heaven. --Shak.

Thorny rest-harrow (Bot.), rest-harrow.

Thorny trefoil, a prickly plant of the genus Fagonia (F. Cretica, etc.).

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)