Having six spines or spine-like projections, typically used to describe certain marine organisms or their structures.
From Greek 'hexa-' meaning six and 'akantha' meaning thorn or spine. The suffix '-ous' means having or characterized by. The term was coined in scientific taxonomy to describe organisms with six prominent spiny features.
Sea urchins and certain sponges earned this name because their six-pronged defensive structures look like they're spoiling for a fight—nature's way of saying 'stay back!' using ancient Greek mathematics.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.