THORNY

thorny. Thorny, a. full of thorns, prickly, difficult, hard

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Thorn″y (?), a. [Compar. Thornier (?); superl. Thorniest.] [[Cf. AS. þorniht.]] 1. 1. Full of thorns or spines; rough with thorns; spiny; as, a thorny wood; a thorny tree; a thorny crown.
2. 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.).