spindly
UK: ˈspɪndli | US: ˈspɪndli
adj. 1. (of a person or limb) long, thin, and frail in appearance.
adj. 2. (of an object) tall, slender, and often awkwardly delicate.
spindly = spindle<rotating rod> + y<adjective suffix>
- spindle: From Old English spinel (a rod for spinning thread), derived from Proto-Germanic *spindulaz, related to the verb spin. Originally referred to a tool for twisting fibers into thread, later generalized to any slender rod.
- y: A productive English suffix forming adjectives, often implying "characterized by" or "resembling" (e.g., hairy, stony).
Etymology Origin:
Spindly emerged in the 17th century, combining spindle (a thin rod) with -y to describe objects or limbs resembling the elongated, fragile shape of a spinning tool. The word evokes imagery of something unnaturally stretched or weakly narrow, akin to a spindle’s form.
The spindly legs of the newborn foal wobbled as it tried to stand.
A spindly cactus stretched toward the desert sun.
Her spindly fingers struggled to grip the heavy book.
The old chair had spindly wooden arms that looked ready to snap.
Towering and spindly, the radio antenna swayed in the wind.