Spindly
/ˈspɪnd.li/noun
Thin and awkwardly long or slender.
Did you know?Spindly is built on the same root as spin, spindle, and spider, all ultimately tied to the idea of spinning or twisting.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spen-
“to draw out, spin, stretch”
Old English
OE
spynnan
“to spin, twist thread”
Middle English
ME
spindel
“a spindle; a slender stick for spinning”
16th Century
English
spindyl
“slender like a spindle”
Modern English
English
spindly
“thin and awkwardly long or slender”