Resembling a spine or thorn; having a shape or structure similar to an acanthus plant or spine.
From Greek 'akantha' (thorn, spine) + '-oid' (resembling, similar to), literally meaning 'spine-like' or 'thorn-like.'
The '-oid' suffix is evolution's shortcut—it lets biologists describe something as 'spine-like' without actually being a spine, perfect for describing structures that evolved similar shapes for similar jobs.
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