Meaning
thorn
- thorn, prickle
- spine (spina dorsale)
- plug (electrical)
- tap (for draft beer); alla spina = on tap
In a sentence
Mi sono punto con una spina di rosa.
I pricked myself on a rose thorn.
Hai messo la spina del telefono?
Did you plug in the phone?
Attento, questo pesce ha ancora una spina.
Careful, this fish still has a bone.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| spina | feminine · singular |
| spine | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- For electrical devices, spina is the plug; presa is the wall socket. Learners often confuse them.
- For fish bones, spina usually means a small bone in food; lisca often means the fish skeleton or fishbone generally.
- Spina can mean a plant thorn, but spina is also common in figurative or fixed expressions; thorn translations are not always literal.