Meaning
A small, detachable, irritant spine occurring in dense clusters in the areoles of certain cacti such as the prickly pear.
Etymology
Origin: Ancient Greek
From Ancient Greek γλωχίς (glōkhís, “barb of an arrow”).
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
glochidium
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2020, 2023, 2026.