spikelike

Spikelike is an adjective describing something that has the form or characteristics of a spike: a long, slender projection that ends in a sharp point. In scientific writing, it is used to describe morphology across various fields, without implying a precise formal category. The term may be preferred over more casual descriptions like sharp or pointy, when the shape is mid-sized and consistently protruding.

In botany, spikelike describes structures such as inflorescences or bracts that resemble a spike; for example, a spikelike arrangement of flowers along an elongated axis as opposed to a branched panicle. In zoology and anatomy, it is used for projections or teeth that extend outward from a body, like spikelike odontodes or spines on certain animals. In geology and crystallography, spikelike describes crystal habit where crystals grow as slender, elongated prisms or needles with pointed ends. In paleontology, fossilized bones or spines may be described as spikelike when their shape evokes a spike.

Etymology: from spike plus -like.

Related terms: spine, spicule, acicular.