/spin"ee/ , n. , pl. spinneys . Brit.
a small wood or thicket.
[ 1300-50; ME espinei (masc.), espinaie (fem.) a place full of thorns, deriv. of espine SPINE; cf. LL spinetum difficulty, equiv. to L spin ( a ) thorn (see SPINE) + -etum n. suffix (see ARBORETUM) ]