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espinoso

thorny

adjective ehs-pee-NOH-soh Rare

Also means

tricky

Usage Note

Espinoso literally describes plants covered in thorns (espinas), but its figurative use — a thorny or difficult issue — is equally common: un asunto espinoso (a tricky matter). The feminine form is espinosa; the noun espina means both thorn and fish bone.

Examples

"La rosa tiene tallos espinosos."

Natural Translation

The rose has thorny stems.

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