definition of
[prickly]

[1] #1 prickly s. [bristly, splenetic, waspish] very irritable; "bristly exchanges between the White House and the press"; "he became prickly and spiteful"; "witty and waspish about his colleagues". wn

[2] #2 prickly s. [barbed, barbellate, briary, briery, bristled, bristly, burred, burry, setose, setaceous, spiny, thorny] having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.; "a horse with a short bristly mane"; "bristly shrubs"; "burred fruits"; "setaceous whiskers". wn