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Anything resembling the spine or backbone; a ridge.

Having fine supported by spinous fin rays; -- said of certain fishes.

Having the tail quills ending in sharp, naked tips. Spine- tailed swift. (Zoöl.) See Spinetail (a).

A fish having spines in, or in front of, the dorsal fins.

Any species of Australian birds of the genus Acanthorhynchus. They are related to the honey eaters.

Furnished with spines; spiny.

Bleached yarn in making the linen tape called inkle; unwrought inkle. Knight.

and various colors, as red, green, blue, brown, and black, the red variety being the gem spinel ruby. It consist essentially of alumina and magnesia, but commonly contains iron and sometimes also chromium.

Having no spine.

The state or quality of being spinescent or spiny; also, a spiny growth or covering, as of certain animals.

Becoming hard and thorny; tapering gradually to a rigid, leafless point; armed with spines. Gray.

sounded by means of leather or quill plectrums or jacks. It was formerly much used. Dumb spinet. (Mus.) See Manichordon.

r Chætura, and allied genera, in which the shafts of the tail feathers terminate in rigid spines.

Slit; cleft. [Obs. & R.]

A kind of ruby. See Spinel.

bortive or sterile; undeveloped; checked in normal development at a very early stage; as, spines are aborted branches. The eyes of the cirripeds are more or less aborted in their mature state. Owen.

A spine or prickly fin.

Having the fruit covered with spines.

A group of intestinal worms, having the proboscis armed with recurved spines.

Spine-bearing. Gray.