porcupine
- A large, slow-moving rodent with a body covered with long, sharp quills that can detach and embed in the skin of an attacker as a defense mechanism. nounThe porcupine raised its quills when it sensed danger.Porcupines are primarily nocturnal and are known for their distinctive quill-covered bodies.
- A metaphorical term used to describe a person who is difficult to approach or deal with, often due to a prickly or defensive nature. nounEver since the disagreement, he's been a bit of a porcupine, hard to talk to without getting pricked.She can be a porcupine in meetings, always ready to defend her ideas fiercely.