A small, pointed, needle-like structure, especially a sting or prickle on a plant or animal.
From Latin 'aculeus,' meaning needle or sting, derived from 'acus' (needle). The root 'acus' possibly comes from Proto-Indo-European '*ak-' meaning sharp or pointed. In ancient times, Romans used this word for both literal bee stings and the spines of sea urchins, as they resembled needles.
The word 'aculeus' is so ancient that Romans were using it to describe bee stings thousands of years ago—and scientists still use it today when describing the exact same thing under a microscope. Some words are just too perfect to replace.
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