SPICULE

n. 1 any small sharp-pointed body. 2 Zool. a small hard calcareous or siliceous body, esp. in the framework of a sponge. 3 Bot. a small or secondary spike. 4 Astron. a spikelike prominence, esp. one appearing as a jet of gas in the sun's corona. øøspicular adj. spiculate adj. [mod.L spicula, spiculum, dimins. of SPICA]