noun, plural spin·neys. British. a small wood or thicket.
Origin: 1300–50; Middle English <
Middle French espinei (masculine),
espinaie (feminine) a place full of thorns, derivative of
espine spine; compare
Late Latin spīnētum difficulty, equivalent to
Latin spīn(
a) thorn (see
spine) +
-ētum noun suffix (see
arboretum)